Will consumers love restaurants on Valentine’s Day? What’s behind Fogo de Chão’s soaring sales? What’s the deal with Toast and Instacart’s new arrangement? Answers to these stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

The next big question facing restaurant operators: will diners stay at home or venture out on Valentine’s Day?

The holiday falls on a Saturday this year and early reservation activity has some restaurant operators are cautiously optimistic, per a story from The Food Institute. One restauranteur reports that diners began making reservations right after New Years Day.

To give its Valentine’s Day sales a boost, Denny’s will help couples “tie the knot for free” on February 14, 2026, at its Las Vegas location on Fremont Street, per a company release. Reservations are required but participating couples will receive a Las Vegas rock n’ roll style officiant, a keepsake certificate, wedding sashes and a silk presentation bouquet and boutonniere.

Foodservice News

• Technology has Fogo de Chão on an accelerated growth spurt. The chain reports its new locations are generating $8.5 million in annual unit volumes, per a FSR Magazine story. One factor driving this growth is an investment in technology, including a loyalty program that allows guests to earn awards immediately. After repeated uses, the brand carves out sophisticated customer profiles and creates highly personalized experiences, the story adds.
• Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies now offers field service for commercial refrigeration and ice machines. The company’s technicians can provide on-site equipment maintenance and minor repairs at operator locations in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
• Sometimes to move forward one must take a step back. That appears to be the case with Pizza Hut, which announced plans to close what it described as 250 underperforming locations, per a variety of published reports, including this one from USA Today. This is part of the chain’s “Hut Forward Strategy,” which includes “vibrant marketing, modernization of technology and franchise agreements.” Pizza Hut operates more than 20,000 units systemwide.
• The leaders of several food-away-from suppliers in Minnesota have signed on to a letter calling for an end to the political tensions that have roiled the area for weeks. Per a story from IFMA The Food Away from Association, those companies include Anchor Paper, Ecolab and Pentair, as well as food manufacturers Hormel, General Mills and Land O Lakes. This comes as efforts in Minnesota are starting to emerge to help restaurants deal with the economic challenges that have emerged during Operation Metro Surge, as Restaurant Business reports.
• Toast and Instacart have formed a strategic partnership to support restaurant procurement. As part of this initiative, retailers will be able to “onboard and sync their brick-and-mortar inventory to the Instacart Marketplace,” per a release. This will provide restaurants with what the companies describe as a just-in-time solution for fresh produce and pantry staples for same-day delivery.

Economic News

• News pertaining to consumer sentiment remains a mixed bag. First, the good. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment came in at 57.3 for February, which is up 1.6% from January and its highest level since August of 2025. The increase beat Bloomberg News forecasts, which called for the study to come in at 55, per a Yahoo! Finance analysis. Unfortunately, the study was down 11.4% compared to February of 2025. “Concerns about the erosion of personal finances from high prices and elevated risk of job loss continue to be widespread," said Joanne Hsu, University of Michigan surveys of consumers director.
• Private employers added a net 22,000 jobs in January, per data from the ADP Employment Report. Professional/business services saw a decline of 57,000 positions and manufacturing saw losses of 8,000 jobs. ADP points out that manufacturing has lost jobs every month since March of 2024. In contrast, education/health services saw an increase of 74,000 jobs. Closer to home, the leisure and hospitality segment posted an increase of 4,000 jobs. ADP also reported employers added a total of 398,000 jobs in 2025, down from 771,000 in 2024.
• S.-based employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January, per data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This represents an increase of 118% from January of 2025 and 205% from December. January’s total is the highest for the month since 2009, when 241,749 job cuts were announced. It is the highest monthly total since October 2025, when 153,074 cuts were recorded.
• Economic activity in the services sector was flat in January compared to December, per data from the ISM. Both months saw its Services PMI Report come in at 53.8, which indicates a period of expansion for the sector. The Business Activity Index remained in expansion territory in January, registering 57.4 percent, 2.2 percentage points more than December.
• The mood on Main Street remains complicated. Despite falling 0.2 points in January, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index came in at 99.3, which is more than its 52-year average of 98. “While GDP is rising, small businesses are still waiting for noticeable economic growth, said Bill Dunkelberg, the NFIB’s chief economist. “Despite this, more owners report better business health and anticipate higher sales.”