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Stock Markets July 2, 2026 05:38 AM

Citi Data Shows US Restaurant Visits Slip 2.0% in Late June

Mixed performance across segments as full-service venues post gains while limited-service traffic softens

By Sofia Navarro
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MCD WEN QSR YUM JACK

Citi's foot-traffic tracking indicates a 2.0% year-over-year decline in U.S. restaurant visits for the week ended June 28, a steeper drop than the prior week's 1.1% decrease. The data show divergent results across full-service, limited-service and fast casual operators, with notable winners and laggards among major chains.

Citi Data Shows US Restaurant Visits Slip 2.0% in Late June
MCD WEN QSR YUM JACK
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Key Points

  • Overall U.S. restaurant traffic declined 2.0% year-over-year for the week ended June 28, worsening from a 1.1% decline the prior week.
  • Full-service restaurants recorded 1.5% year-over-year growth; limited-service traffic fell 2.8%; fast casual grew 2.2%.
  • Chain-level performance was mixed: Cava led with +23.1% year-over-year, while Wendy’s saw the steepest drop at -18.1% year-over-year. Multiple public restaurant companies were referenced by ticker.

Foot traffic at U.S. restaurants fell 2.0% year-over-year for the week ended June 28, according to Citi's mobility and visit tracking, marking a heavier contraction than the 1.1% decline recorded in the prior week.

Breaking the figures down by format, full-service restaurants registered year-over-year growth of 1.5%, improving from the previous week. Limited-service establishments experienced a 2.8% decline year-over-year. Fast casual brands as a cohort reported year-over-year growth of 2.2%.

The chain-level data show a mix of outcomes. Among burger-focused brands, McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) traffic dropped 3.9% year-over-year, Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN) declined 18.1% year-over-year, and Burger King, owned by Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR), saw a 0.7% year-over-year decrease.

Popeye’s and Taco Bell - the former owned by QSR and the latter by Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM) - both recorded accelerations in growth compared with the prior week. Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) also posted stronger year-over-year growth over the week.

Other brand-level movements included Dutch Bros (NYSE:BROS), which grew 6.4% year-over-year, while KFC traffic fell 7.6% year-over-year. Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) reported a 3.5% year-over-year increase.

Within the full-service segment, LongHorn Steakhouse saw traffic increase 8.2% year-over-year and Olive Garden rose 2.5% year-over-year; both brands are part of Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI). Additional full-service performance: BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) traffic rose 9.4% year-over-year, Chili’s grew 5.6% year-over-year, Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) increased 4.1% year-over-year, and Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH) grew 4.3% year-over-year. Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ:CBRL) experienced a 3.1% year-over-year decline in traffic.

Cava Group (NYSE:CAVA) posted the largest year-over-year increase among named chains, with traffic up 23.1%. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) reported a 4.1% year-over-year increase, while Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) traffic declined 4.3% year-over-year.

These weekly figures provide a snapshot of consumer visits to restaurants for the period ending June 28 and highlight variation across formats and individual chains. The data show improvements for several full-service names and fast casual operators, contrasted with declines at a range of limited-service brands.

Risks

  • Divergent results across segments and individual chains introduce uncertainty about the consistency of recovery in dining demand - this affects the restaurant sector and publicly traded restaurant companies.
  • Week-to-week variability in growth rates (some brands accelerated, others decelerated) makes it difficult to draw definitive trend conclusions from a single-week snapshot - this is relevant for equity investors in restaurant stocks.
  • The data reflect a single weekly period (week ended June 28) and thus represent a short-term view rather than a long-term trend, leaving interpretation of sustained momentum uncertain for market participants and sector analysts.

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