Reading the Economy by Taking a Look at Lunch

3 Min Read By David Sederholt

Everything you read says that the economy continues to improve after the “Great Recession."  The markets have hit new highs - unemployment is low and the housing market is hot again.

So why are so many restaurants continuing to have challenges? 

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that “the U.S. restaurant industry is in a funk” despite other sectors of the economy growing. Changes in lifestyle, income inequality, shopping habits and general lack of confidence in the future have impacted the restaurant industry. Many sources in the financial world are predicting a “correction” and speaking of the proverbial “down cycle."

So what is the “leading economic indicator” for the restaurant industry? 

Lunch! 

No dining segment has taken a bigger beating than lunch over the past 18 months. There are a wide variety of reasons for this massive downslide, but is it a warning about an even greater shift in dining habits? Many of the restaurants that rely on lunch sales…