Taco Bell, Buca di Beppo, First WatchTaco Bell, Buca di Beppo, First Watch

Taco Bell apparently didn’t get the memo that people aren’t eating fast food. The Mexican chain’s same-store sales increased 5% in the second quarter, parent company Yum Brands said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Yum’s three other brands — KFC, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill — reported a tough second quarter, with domestic same-store sales down 5%, 1%, and 6%, respectively.

Buca di Beppo blamed a familiar factor for its bankruptcy: the pandemic. The Italian casual-dining chain said in a filing this week that it was never able to fully recover after COVID-19 upended its business in 2020.

Sluggish traffic slowed second-quarter sales at First Watch, which reported a 0.3% drop in same-store sales. It’s becoming a familiar tale across the industry as many restaurant companies struggle to attract infrequent and lower-income customers who just aren’t spending as much as they used to.

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