Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Fears Drive Down Foot Traffic at Salad Chains in US

According to Placer.ai data, on Sunday, July 11, as news of a massive cyclospora outbreak possibly linked to contaminated lettuce made headlines, foot traffic at Chopt fell by 7.1 percent compared to the chain’s average Sunday traffic. The same day, Panera Bread saw a 7.4 percent decline, and Sweetgreen dropped by 3.1 percent. Placer.ai reports that the decline in visitors to places with “lettuce-heavy menus” began around July 10.

Industry averages indicate that customers were more likely to abandon salad-heavy chains, while foot traffic at quick-service chains like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Wendy’s was up 0.8 percent compared to their average Sunday traffic. Traffic for all fast-casual chains, which tend to include more fresh produce than fast-food rivals, was down 2.4 percent.

None of these salad chains have been directly linked to the outbreak, which may have sickened nearly 7,000 people according to the latest CDC estimates. However, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the state at the outbreak’s epicenter, described lettuce or salad greens as a “potential source.” Past cyclospora outbreaks have been tied to raw produce, including herbs, raspberries, and lettuce. The parasite is easily killed by heat, but people typically do not cook berries or fresh greens.

Wall Street also seems spooked. At the time of publication, Sweetgreen shares were down 23.3 percent over the past five days. (Chopt and Panera Bread are privately traded.) The only chain with suspected links to the outbreak is Taco Bell. Some locations in the Detroit region posted notices that they were “currently unable to sell lettuce, cilantro onion, pico de gallo, and guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” and The Washington Post reported that health officials are investigating the chain’s role.

Shares of Taco Bell’s parent company, Yum Brands, are down 7.2 percent in the past five days. Placer.ai found that Taco Bell’s foot traffic was down 5.8 percent on July 11 compared to the Sunday average. In Michigan, where the case count has reached 4,312, traffic was down 11.5 percent.

Still, not everyone is afraid of leafy greens. Two customers outside a Sweetgreen in Manhattan’s Financial District told WIRED on Thursday that they hadn’t heard of the cyclosporiasis outbreak. New York has far fewer cases than Michigan, with 510 cases so far in 2026. More than 380 are in New York City, a threefold increase over last year at this date, according to the local health department.