The Cheap Chicken Era Ends in 2027

Wings and eggs are set to lead next year's food inflation, Washington is taking aim at unauthorized delivery listings, and AI is finally doing the paperwork. Here's how operators protect margin before January pricing.

The cheap-chicken era has an end date. ArrowStream now expects the items that got cheaper in 2026 to lead food inflation in 2027, with wings up about 42% and liquid eggs up about 45%. At the same time, Congress has a bipartisan bill that would stop delivery apps from listing restaurants without permission, and AI tools are starting to do back-office work like invoices, purchasing and prep instead of just reporting on it. The operators who win next year will lock in costs now and steer guests to channels they control. Members get the full playbook, plus this week's Savor Brand Price Watch.