Investing.com - Evercore ISI said Friday that casual dining industry trends have been resilient in 2026 and may be better than the market appreciates, though the segment has experienced some deceleration very recently.

The firm presented insights from Restaurant Insight Monitor (RIM) in a research note examining the casual dining segment. Evercore said the recent slowing at casual dining appears related to consumers earning over $100,000 reacting to gas prices and headlines about interest rates, housing, and financial markets.

The path to reacceleration likely depends on inflationary factors and getting past the election, Evercore said. The firm added that trends may also improve in October for other reasons.

Evercore said it continues to like Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ: TXRH) and Brinker International (NYSE: EAT). The firm did not disclose specific price targets or rating changes for either stock in the note.

The research note was titled "Restaurant Images" and focused on the state of the consumer in casual dining. Evercore did not provide specific sales or traffic data for the segment.