Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Lettuce Causes Restaurant Traffic Decline

Concerns over a cyclospora outbreak have led to a significant drop in customer visits to various restaurant chains known for their lettuce-heavy menus, including Taco Bell. Following the FDA and CDC's announcement linking Taco Bell's lettuce to the outbreak, customer traffic fell by 16.9% on July 15 and nearly 19% by July 17. Other chains like Cava, Chopt, Panera Bread, Chipotle, and Subway also reported declines in patronage, with Subway experiencing a 19.2% drop. The FDA suspects Taylor Farms, a lettuce supplier for Taco Bell, may be the source of the contamination. Despite these concerns, the overall fast-casual dining sector saw only minor declines during the same period.

Key Details: • Customer traffic at Taco Bell dropped 16.9% on July 15 and 19% on July 17. • Subway's daily traffic decreased by 19.2% on July 16. • Cava, Chipotle, and Panera Bread reported declines of less than 10% on July 16 and 17. • FDA suspects Taylor Farms as the likely source of the contaminated lettuce.