Some restaurant chains are sounding the alarm about consumers

Some major restaurant chains sounded an alarm in recent days about a shopping slowdown, spotlighting a crack in the U.S. economy as inflation worsens and hiring wanes . Household names like Chipotle and McDonald’s cautioned about flagging purchases among low-income customers. The development could hold significant stakes for the wider economy, since consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity. A fresh report on Friday revealed a decline in shopper attitudes in November, leaving consumer sentiment at its lowest point since 2022, University of Michigan data showed. The survey came days after data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed Americans’ household debt levels have reached a record high. Here’s what some major restaurant chains are saying about