Operations
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August 3, 2026
Restaurant chains that experienced sharp declines in foot traffic following the recent Cyclospora outbreak are beginning to recover, although some brands continue to see fewer visits than normal, according to the latest data from Placer.ai.
The updated analysis, which covers July 18-23 and compares traffic to each chain’s average day-of-week visits between Jan. 1 and July 6, suggests the steepest declines may have passed. Taco Bell, one of the hardest-hit chains due to the Cyclospora outbreak, remained down 20.8% on Thursday, July 23, an improvement from its nearly 31% decline on July 17. Several other quick-service chains appeared largely unaffected. McDonald’s and Wendy’s each posted a 1.8% increase in visits compared with their historical day-of-week averages, while Burger King traffic was up 1.5% and Chick-fil-A increased 1.3%. Subway traffic was down 1.1% for the same period.
Chopt continued to struggle, with visits down 12.2%, while Chipotle at -1.4% and Panera Bread at -3.1% were much closer to their typical traffic levels.
According to Placer.ai, most quick-service and fast-casual chains have rebounded in recent weeks, with overall visit trends now exceeding their historical day-of-week averages. Salad chains, however, including Chopt, continue to lag behind pre-outbreak traffic patterns.
