#Gen-Z

A growing online backlash is targeting restaurants backed by private equity, with younger diners using the phrase “PE slop” for food they see as overpriced, standardized or stripped of local character.

The discussion intensified after beloved New York taco shop Los Tacos No. 1 took investment from TSG Consumer.

Why it matters

Restaurant ownership used to be invisible to most diners. Now corporate structure itself is becoming part of a restaurant's brand story—and potentially a reason customers choose where not to eat.

The debate

Private-equity firms argue they provide capital and expertise that help popular concepts expand. Critics say debt, cost cutting and aggressive growth can damage quality and erase what made a restaurant special.

McDonald's is putting more emphasis on fried chicken as younger consumers increasingly favor chicken sandwiches, tenders and other poultry products over traditional burgers.

Why it matters

Fast-food menus follow demand at enormous scale. A sustained shift toward chicken affects restaurant strategy, suppliers, commodity demand and competition with chains such as KFC and Popeyes.

The bigger signal

The burger may no longer be the unquestioned center of American fast food.

A look at student cooking found that some university students are making dishes far beyond the stereotypical pesto pasta and instant noodles—including crème brûlée, duck eggs and recipes requiring a blowtorch.

Why it matters

Young people's food habits are being reshaped by TikTok, YouTube, recipe creators and better access to global cooking knowledge.

The cultural shift

Cooking can now be both a budget strategy and a creative hobby. A student kitchen may be poorly equipped, but the cook using it may have watched hundreds of hours of professional technique online.