Why Gen Z is suddenly skipping the $15 burrito bowl

If you’ve noticed that your local Chipotle or CAVA feel a little quieter during lunch hour, you’re not imagining it. Gen Z has literally stuck a fork into casual dining and picked up grocery bags instead.

Chipotle’s CEO Scott Boatwright recently said younger diners, especially those between 25 and 35, are “facing several headwinds” and simply aren’t eating out as often. The translation: Generation Z is going broke and they know it. The $15 burrito bowl has become a symbol of a generation that’s tightening its belt as the mounting pressure of grocery prices, student loan repayments, and spiraling credit card debt run out of control.

Fast casual dining out was once considered an affordable convenience and has now become a small luxury. Boatwright said bluntly that Chipotle isn’t losing younger customers to competitors; it’s losing them to grocery stores and food at home. Think about that. The same people who fueled the fast-casual boom are now saying, “I’ll just cook instead.”

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At CAVA, CEO Brett Schulman sees the same pattern. He admits younger guests are “making more deliberate choices” about spending. Even though CAVA bowls average $11 to $13 most of the time, that still feels like a splurge. Your bank account balance is less than 30 days away from hitting zero. Schulman calls today’s economy a “fog” and in that fog, fast casual restaurant traffic is disappearing.

Generation Z Is Hitting A Financial Fog

This generation isn’t lazy or spoiled. They’re financially boxed in right now. Student-loan payments have resumed for millions of borrowers with more than 50% of people having not made a repayment. Credit-card debt just hit record highs at more than 1.2 trillion dollars. Auto loans now stretch seven or even eight years for many younger buyers. And while rent and grocery prices soar, real wage growth has stalled.

This is what “voting with your wallet” looks like in 2025. We just saw this with the mayoral election in New York City. And you will see this become the number one issue in the 2026 midterms.

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In the past, younger consumers led the charge in dining trends by paying more for organic, sustainable, or fast-casual meals that felt upscale but affordable. Now those same consumers are financially maxed out. Even though many are making decent incomes, the real after-tax wages simply aren’t keeping up with the debt and overall inflation.

The macro shift hitting Main Street

This isn’t just about burrito bowls or Mediterranean grain bowls. It’s a signal that consumer behavior is changing across the country and this trend is going to continue given the larger picture of sustainable housing affordability. Younger Americans are voting with their wallets, and they’re saying: we’re done paying $20 for lunch.

Fast-casual dining chains built their success on speed, quality, and a perceived value gap between fast food and full-service restaurants. But that middle ground is now under siege and people are returning to dollar-value menus at fast food restaurants and discount grocery stores like Aldi.

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Currently, value focused chains like McDonald’s, Chili’s, and Domino’s are gaining share. When inflation bites, people trade down. They still want convenience without paying the premium price tag. The same $12-to-$15 spent on a fully loaded bowl can cover two homemade dinners or a week’s worth of frozen meals.

What does this mean for CAVA and Chipotle?

For anyone running or buying a restaurant, your customer base is shifting. The 25-to-35-year-old demographic, once the lifeblood of fast-casual dining, is disappearing faster than guacamole on a Friday night.

If your concept relies heavily on younger diners, it’s time to rethink pricing, promotions, and loyalty. People still love good food, but they’re searching for value. Boatwright has already said Chipotle won’t chase customers by cutting prices. That’s admirable, but it’s risky and stocks like CAVA and Chipotle could feel significant pain. Holding the line on price when consumers feel squeezed could hurt traffic much more than you think.

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From a valuation standpoint, buyers are looking harder at guest demographics, frequency trends, and economic resilience. A restaurant that relies on young professionals may see its valuation dip unless it can prove stability in a downturn.

Is Gen Z Anti-Burrito?

Gen Z isn’t anti-burrito. They’ve woken up to realize that it’s not worth the mental and financial stress clawing their way out of debt. They’re giving up dining and they’re reacting to a generation’s broken financial equation. With inflation eating away at their paychecks and debt stacking up, all types of small luxuries are getting cut.

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This is what “voting with your wallet” looks like in 2025. We just saw this with the mayoral election in New York City, and you will see this become the number one issue in the 2026 midterms. And until the economic fog clears, restaurants and politicians that don’t adapt to understanding the plight of this generation will find themselves with a lot of empty restaurant seats and a lot of empty voters in the next major election.

So, the next time you pass by a Chipotle line that’s half what it used to be, remember this. It’s not about the money, but it’s always about the money. 

Gen Z isn’t skipping burrito bowls because they don’t love Chipotle and CAVA, they just don’t love a $20 receipt for one.

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