[Trump Administration's Immigration Deportations Severely Impact US Fast Food Industry] According to the Financial Times, the Trump administration's harsh crackdown on immigration is eroding sales at US fast food restaurants, weakening a long-standing source of growth for the industry. Market research firm Technomic reports that sales growth for chain restaurants will slow significantly in 2024 and 2025. The vast majority of those targeted for deportation are from Latin American countries, a crucial consumer group for the fast food industry. Data shows that the number of chain restaurants in the US has grown by 1% to 2% annually since 2021. However, these stores are attracting fewer customers than before. Placer.ai data shows that fast food restaurant traffic continued to grow in 2023, but began to fluctuate in 2024 as consumers, influenced by inflationary pressures, reduced dining out. In 2025 and 2026, fast food restaurant traffic is expected to decline almost every month.
