What’s fueling foodservice in 2026? From operators’ big spending plans to whether gridiron glory can score wins in the restaurant world. Plus, Taylor Swift says YES to these 10 NYC restaurants.

Despite the current economic uncertainties, restaurant operators plan to increase their spend in the coming year, per data from IFMA The Food Away from Home Association.

The trade group projects operators will increase spend 1.1% more on supply items and services 1.1% in 2026.

IFMA also expects food costs to rise by 3% in 2026, which is 0.9% less than this year’s estimate.

All of this has to be welcome news to a beleaguered industry where consumers are planning to cut back on their use of restaurants in response to tariffs and other economic challenges.

Foodservice News

• For the first time in its history, Smoothie King has a food menu. New items include a variety of toasts, protein boxes, chicken tenders and more. In support of this initiative, Smoothie King added high-speed ovens, which allow staff to prepare items quickly and consistently without a traditional fryer or having to add a ventilation hood. “The ovens fit seamlessly into Smoothie King’s existing store layouts, are easy for teams to use,” said a Smoothie King spokesperson in an email to FE&S. “This approach keeps operations simple while giving the ability to expand the brand’s menu in a smart, scalable way.”
• Taylor Swift says YES to these 10 New York City restaurants. The fine folks at Food & Wine did the research so you don’t have to do it yourself. “For a pop star whose songs chronicle the details of ordinary moments, it feels fitting that her dining choices are as grounded as they are glamorous,” the story adds.
• If you thought virtual brands are done, think again. Multiconcept operator FAT Brands has inked a deal with Virtual Dining Concepts. Efforts are underway to bring Great American Cookies to more than 400 Chuck E. Cheese locations, per a release announcing the deal. The dessert chain projects it will hit 900 virtual locations by the end of 2025, the release added.
• Brio Bravo Restaurants has filed for bankruptcy. The company cited macroeconomic factors such as declining consumer demand and increased competition from fast-casual restaurants as playing a role in its decision to file for bankruptcy, per a Restaurant Dive story. The company, which had previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, has approximately 50 units across both brands.
• Exactly where do restaurant operators spend their money? Developed by the National Restaurant Association, the Restaurant Operations Data Abstract provides “a detailed financial snapshot of the full-service and limited-service sectors.” For example, Full-service restaurants reported a median income before taxes of 2.8% of sales, while limited-service restaurants reported a median income before taxes of 4.0%. Prime costs, including food, beverage, and labor, were a median of 65 cents of every sales dollar in the limited-service segment. Labor remains the largest single operating expense, with payroll and benefits representing a median of 36.5% of sales in the full-service segment.
• Add Chipotle to the growing list restaurant chains offering delivery via drone. The initiative is known as Zipotle, and it is for select customers in the Dallas market. Guests use an app from drone maker Zipline to order the food for delivery, per a CNBC story.
• In a marriage of jan/san giants, BradyPlus and Imperial Dade have merged, per a story in Cleaning & Maintenance Management. Few details about the merger were provided as the deal is expected to close in the coming months and is subject to regulatory approval.
• Can success on the gridiron carry over into the restaurant business? National Football League stars and teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce think so, which is why they will open 1587 Prime in Kansas City, Mo., shortly after their season starts, per a Today Show story. The restaurant’s name is a play on their numbers (Mahomes wears 15 and Kelce 87). Restaurant company Noble 33 is running the operation, which will occupy 10,000 square feet in the Lowest Hotel Kansas City. The menu will include steaks, sliders and more.

Economic News

• Consumer confidence dipped slightly in August, per data from The Conference Board. Its Consumer Confidence Index came in at 97.4 for the month, which is 1.4 points less than July. The small decline was in line with economists’ projections, per an Associated Press report. The Present Situation Index and the Expectations Index decreased by 1.6 points and 1.2 points, respectively.
• The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index declined 0.1% in July for a reading of 98.7. The Conference Board cited “pessimistic consumer expectations for business and weak new orders” as key reasons for the decline. For the six-month period from January 20205 to July, the LEI declined 2.7%, which is faster than its 1.0% decline in the previous six-month period of July 2024 to January 2025.
• New orders for manufactured durable goods declined 2.8% in July, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. Economists had projected a 4.0% decline for July, per a NASDAQ report. July’s retreat follows a 9.4% June decrease. Transportation equipment drove the decrease by dipping 9.7%. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.1%. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 2.5%.
• July housing news offered a mixed bag of results. First, the good: July 2025 housing starts, however, increased 6.0% compared to June, per data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The growth is attributed to an 11.6% increase in groundbreaking activities for multi-unit housing. In contrast, building permits for privately owned housing units declined 2.8% in July compared to the previous month, which may indicate a building slowdown in the future.
• Sales of existing homes increased 2.0% in July compared to the previous month, per data from the National Association of Realtors. Economists polled by Reuters had expected sales to be flat, per published reports. “Wage growth is now comfortably outpacing home price growth, and buyers have more choices,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist.
• New home sales declined 0.6% in July compared to the previous month, per data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is also 8.2% less than July 2024. At present, there are 9.2 months’ worth of homes for sale, the study added.