TCE Pulse Report | January 2026 Edition

From Defense to Offense
in a Split Consumer Landscape

As we dive into 2026, the restaurant industry still faces the familiar headwinds—supply chain instability, shaky consumer confidence, inflationary aftershocks, and labor pressure. But beneath the surface, a different story is unfolding: the consumer base is splitting, operator strategies are diverging, and the most resilient brands are beginning to pivot from defense to offense.

This edition of the Pulse is built from TCE’s national operator survey, Placer.ai behavioral data, and analysis across 20+ industry sources.
 
It reflects a landscape where income tier, not category, is becoming the primary predictor of performance.