So-called slop bowl restaurants have had a rough go of it lately, Business Insider's Joe Ciolli writes. Their decline has been breathlessly chronicled by the media since mid-2025, when demand started to slow. The reason was simple: At a time of rising inflation and consumer-spending pullbacks, paying anywhere from $15 to $25 for a semi-soupy mixture of protein, vegetables, and grains started to lose its appeal. In the time since, one of the three slop bowl purveyors — Cava, Sweetgreen, and Chipotle — has bucked the trend and emerged as the clear-cut winner: Cava. During allegedly lean times for slop bowls, the company actually raised its forecasts for annual sales and same-store sales during its most recent earnings report. Read about what's setting Cava apart from its competitors at the link in our bio. Story by Joe Ciolli (Credit: Getty Images) #Cava #slopbowl #diningtrends #foodindustry #marketanalysis