Not just Taco Bell: Parasite outbreak tied to lettuce dents restaurant traffic | CNN Business

Americans are making fewer visits to food chains with lettuce-heavy menus as concerns mount over the cyclospora outbreak. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants to the widespread outbreak of the diarrhea-causing parasite. Even before the official announcement, consumers appeared wary of Taco Bell’s potential connection to the outbreak. Foot traffic fell 20% on July 16 compared to Taco Bell’s average daily levels this year, according to nationwide data from Placer.ai. When federal health officials publicly identified the chain as part of the investigation on July 17, foot traffic dropped nearly 31%. The next day it was down 30%. Taco Bell told CNN last week that it removed the potentially compromised lettuce. But it’s not the only food chain affected by wary customers. Cava, Chopt, Panera Bread, Chipotle and Subway have all seen significant declines in visits, according to Placer. The analytics firm uses mobile data to track visits. Chopt saw foot traffic decline 10.9% on July 16, 14.3% on July 17 and 24% on July 18, according to Placer data. The salad chain, which opera