With the government shutdown reaching a new record of days, there are some negative consequences for the foodservice industry. Nation's Restaurants News (NRN) reported on the impact of halted food inspections, which could worry consumers about food safety. Restaurants have also been affected, especially where the main customers were federal workers.
One of the most troubling effects of the shutdown is the reduction in away-from-home spending as consumer confidence diminishes. NRN quotes one study from the University of Michigan, which showed an index drop to 90.7 for January 2019, when the year before it was 95.7.
