Examining ways the government shutdown could impact the restaurant industry. Culinary Depot’s execs to be honored. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Consumer confidence took a hit in October. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index came in at 94.6 for the month, a 1.0 point decline from September.

The Present Situation Index, which examines consumers’ perspective of current business and labor market conditions, grew 1.8 points for a reading of 129.3. That was more than offset, however, by a 2.9-point decline in the Expectations Index, which came in at 71.5.

“Consumers were a bit more pessimistic about future job availability and future business conditions, while optimism about future income retreated slightly,” per a spokesperson for The Conference Board.

Foodservice News

• What impact will the government shutdown have on the restaurant industry? For starters, expect some publicly traded chains to start downgrading their sales projections for the year, per a Restaurant Business story. Chains with a heavy presence in the Washington, D.C. market are among those likely to be affected the most. Particular areas of industry weakness for during the third fiscal quarter of 2025 include lower-income, Hispanic and younger consumers, added the story, which was citing data from a William Blair study.
• Aramark is adding a culinary component to its IN2WORK program. This initiative helps “formerly incarcerated citizens find meaningful work after release.” The culinary track for I2W, which will be piloted in the Kansas Department of Corrections, includes three progressive phases: Food Safety & Sanitation, Nutrition 101, and Introduction to Culinary Arts. Graduates of all three phases are eligible to earn the Certified Fundamental Cook (CFC) credential from the American Culinary Federation (ACF), per a release.
• Angry Chickz has received an investment from Saratoga Investment Corp. The Nashville hot chicken chain will use the funding to support its expansion plans as the chain “scales its national footprint,” per a release announcing the deal. Saratoga is a publicly traded business development company that provides financing to middle-market companies across a range of industries.
• The Culinary Institute of America inducted 21 alumni into its Alumni Hall of Fame. The honorees are entrepreneurs, celebrity chefs, authors, and educators: Grant Achatz '94, Marcy Blum '75, Anthony Bourdain'78, Gary Danko '77, Marcel Desaulniers '65, Steve Ells '90, Dean Fearing '78, Susan Feniger '77, Larry Forgione '74, I. Pano Karatassos '60, Daniel Leader '76, John C. Metz Jr. '92, Cameron Mitchell '86, Sarah Moulton '77, Bradley Ogden '77, Charlie Palmer '79, Dr. Tim Ryan '77, Michael Tusk '89, Jasper K. White '76, Roy Yamaguchi '76, and Sherry Yard '91. These alumni were selected for their lasting contributions to and impact on the industry. The Alumni Walk of Fame is located outside the Tim Ryan Student Commons.
• Kudos to Culinary Depot’s Michael Lichter and Sholem Potash. The two executives from the New York-based foodservice equipment and supplies dealership will be honored by the American Jewish Committee’s Hospitality and Food Service Division in an event that will take place on Dec. 2, 2025. Culinary Depot reported annual revenue of $170 million in 2024, making it the 13th largest foodservice equipment and supplies dealer in the country, per FE&S 2025 Distribution Giants study.
• Refrigerated Solutions Group has expanded its verified quality and environmental management systems at its Hudson, Wis., facility. The manufacturer of the Norlake and Master-Bilt refrigeration lines said this facility is now certified to meet ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 standards.

Economic News

• For the 12-month period ending in September, inflation grew at a rate of 3.0%, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the highest level inflation has reached since January, per an analysis from ABC News. (While releases of other economic data have been on hold due to the government shutdown, this was released to help calculate cost-of-living adjustments for people on social security. The USBL also notes this data was collected before the shutdown occurred.) The cost of dining at a restaurant increased 3.7% for the month compared to a 2.7% increase for groceries. Overall, the Consumer Price Index increased 0.3% in September, which is 0.1% less than August’s increase.
• Individuals receiving social security will receive a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment in 2026. That will translate into an average increase of more than $56 per month for retirees, per an Associated Press analysis. Recipients received a 2.5% increase in 2025 and a 3.2% increase in 2024. The smaller increase represents moderating inflation, the story notes.
• Private employers added an average of 14,250 jobs in the four weeks ending October 11, 2025, per data from ADP. This represents a four-week moving average of the latest changes in private employment. ADP will continue to release its monthly employment data on the first Wednesday of each month.
• Sales of existing homes increased 1.5% in September compared to the previous month, the National Association of Realtors reported. Month-over-month sales increased in the Northeast, South and West, and fell in the Midwest. On a year-over-year basis, existing home sales increased 4.1% for the 12-month period ending in September. Lower rates and a larger inventory of available homes for sale are two reasons why sales increased, per a Yahoo! Finance story.
• Business leaders view of the economy continues to weaken. The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence came in at 48 for September, which is one point less than the previous month. Any reading of less than 50 indicates more negative than positive responses. Interestingly, CEOs’ views of their own industries were stable while their perception of the economy has gone from neutral to pessimistic over the past six months. During the next 12 months, 64% of CEOs expect a mild economic slowdown and 4% expect a recession, per the study.
• What impact could a rapidly aging and gradually shrinking population have on the global economy? For starters, it could force people in the wealthiest nations to work longer before retirement and make it harder for businesses to find employees, per a story from NPR. Worker shortages, shrinking numbers of young consumers and a growing wave of elderly retirees relying on pension and health care systems could challenge basic assumptions about global capitalism, the story adds.