What’s in store for collegiate dining in the years to come? What’s on tap for National Food Safety Month? Which restaurant chains were winners during the first half of 2025? Answers to these questions and more This Week in Foodservice.

Can a new design make a restaurant a destination? Texas Donuts thinks so.

That is the chain’s goal in developing a new interior and branding design with Mindful Design Consulting.

The new design features bright colors, wall graphics that support Instagram-worthy moments, strategic lighting to highlight products and contribute to a welcoming atmosphere and the use of warm wood tones to denote craftsmanship.

An indoor and outdoor flow allows guests to enjoy their food inside the restaurant or outdoors, with “brand flourishes” extending to al fresco dining.

Foodservice News

• Will off-premises solutions be a focal point for collegiate dining in the coming years? A new study from Technomic says that this will be the case as operators in this segment prepare to deal with the anticipated flattening of enrollment growth as well as more students living off campus. Technomic expects collegiate dining operators will place a greater emphasis on “grab-and-go areas and micromarkets to better deliver on the convenience and value demanded by students living off campus.” These findings were part of Technomic’s College & University Multi-Client Study.
• Some foodservice trends may come and go, but the one that always stays on point is food safety. As part of its National Food Safety Month festivities, the National Restaurant Association and ServSafe have adopted the theme “Food Safety’s Most Wanted: How to Identify, Avoid, and Prevent the Top Violations.” As the theme implies, these efforts will address everything from foodborne illness outbreaks to failed inspections. The NRA has planned weekly activities to drive home these points.
• Restaurant industry performance took a slight step back in July. The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index declined 0.3% in July for a reading of 99.7%. Any reading of less than 100% indicates the industry is in a period of contraction. Both of the study’s components took a step back. Operator outlook regarding sales and their performance for the coming months remains mixed. The good news is that despite the challenging times, operators continue to invest in their businesses. In July, 53% of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion, or remodeling during the last three months. That represented the highest reading in 13 months.
• Several restaurant chains enjoyed some success during the first half of 2025, as Restaurant Dive reports. These chains were able to overcome customer traffic slowing and consumers trading down. Key ingredients in their success include deep marketing budgets and menu items that stress value.
• Fast-casual chain Chipotle has added a family meal option. A “digital-exclusive” offering, it allows customers to “Build-Your-Own Chipotle” by choosing one protein, one rice, one bean, one premium side, shredded lettuce and cheese, two large bags of chips and eight soft taco tortillas. The chain says this feeds four to six people.
• Surviving challenging times often calls for challenging the norm. Such is the case with this group of 50 restaurants from around the world who have developed inventive designs and distinctive themes as they sought to create unique guest experiences to stand out in a challenging marketplace. Compiled by Bored Panda, the list includes highlighting the wait times for each dish on a menu, to how to discreetly buy a meal for someone who may be short of cash to a few ideas to make the restroom experience safer and more memorable. This list has a little something for just about everyone.

Economic News

• Are consumers starting to shift their spending habits? A Conference Board analysis of the July 2025 U.S. retail sales seems to hint that this may be the case. The monthly 0.5% sales increase was driven in large part by an increase in automobile purchases may indicate consumers are starting to prioritize goods over services.
• Personal consumption expenditures increased 0.5% in July, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Both personal income and disposable personal income increased 0.4% for the month. Core inflation increased 2.9% in July, its highest level since February, CNBC reported.
• For the first seven months of 2025, construction spending has declined 2.2% compared to the same period in 2024, per data from the U.S. Census Bureau. July construction spending declined 0.1% compared to the previous month and was 2.8% less than July 2024. Investment in residential construction contracted at its fastest rate in two and a half years during the second quarter, per a Reuters analysis shared by Yahoo! Finance. And the outlook for the remainder of the year does not look too promising, either.
• Initial jobless claims declined by 5,000 for a total of 229,000 during the week-ending August 23, 2025, per data from the U.S. Department of Labor. The 4-week moving average was 228,500, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week.