It’s been a choppy year for restaurants that lean into lettuce. Lettuce prices rose sharply in the first half of 2026 due to hot weather in Arizona, where about one-third of America’s lettuce is grown. Now, some restaurants are dealing with the fallout from a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded lettuce that has sickened thousands of Americans. Taco Bell will likely see the biggest sales impact from the outbreak. But market research companies say other salad-focused chains are seeing reduced foot traffic as well. Federal health officials first tied the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in multiple states, although health officials say there might be additional causes.