Memory can sometimes soften developments that were a sharp kick to the shins at the time they occurred. Our bet is these monumental moments from the past 12 months won’t qualify. Call them the 2025 recollections most in need of being repressed.
Liberation Day
That was White House’s term for April 2, the day President Trump made good on his campaign promise to upend the nation’s international trade policies by imposing protectionist tariffs on nearly every good imported into the U.S. That included foodservice staples ranging from Italian wines to coffee.
The impact would have been merely a gut punch if the surcharges were set and fixed. But they’ve changed more than a 4-year-old's Christmas list. Even today, it’s uncertain how much the industry will be paying for what were once everyday imports from Canada, Italy, and a host of other nations.
The spike in beef prices
A combination of factors, including tariffs, drove the cost upward with a velocity NASA might have admired. The increase was in the mid-teens for most cuts, putting a squeeze on chains ranging from Texas Roadhouse to Burger King.
What aggravated the situation was an accompanying upswing in demand for all proteins, including beef. The popular trend in dieting shifted again to consuming more protein. Additional topspin came from the broadened use of GLP-1 appetite inhibitors.
The egg shortage
Beef wasn’t the only protein in shorter supply. Avian flu put a major crimp in the availability of eggs. Prices climbed to levels that seemed more fitting for the Faberge variety than the standard edible sort. And even at those levels, adequate supplies were difficult to source.
DEI programs become red flags
Once upon a time, the food-away-from-home business drew fierce criticism (and a slew of lawsuits) for not fostering the upward mobility of minority members and women, who together account for the majority of the industry’s hourly workforce. In 2025, the business was attacked again (and hit with more lawsuits), but this time for doing too much to smash glass ceilings.
As part of a war against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement targeted the playing field-leveling efforts of well-known consumer-brand companies. Food-away-from-home suppliers and operators were no exception.
America First Legal (AFL), an organization founded by Deputy White House Chief of Staff and MAGA lieutenant Stephen Miller, filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Center (EEOC) against Texas Roadhouse. The action accused Roadhouse of giving preference when hiring to women and non-Caucasians and in effect discriminating against White men.
A similar complaint was filed against Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. But America First went further in its actions against the country-store-themed brand. It formally requested an investigation of Cracker Barrel’s hiring and promotion practices by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.
The operators were hardly alone in drawing DEI protests. Miller’s group and similarly minded organizations also took action to end the opportunity-building programs of supplier companies ranging from PepsiCo to Kellogg’s.
And there are no indications the DEI attacks are over.