During the Covid lockdowns, my wife and I occasionally ordered from major steakhouses like Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris, which offered aggressive delivery deals and meal kits. Those promotions underscored how heavily steakhouses depended on in-person dining and how vulnerable they were when offices emptied, and business travel stalled. "As remote or hybrid work continues to be popular, office attendance has fallen. Less in-person work may increase office vacancy rates and reduce foot traffic to other busin ...

Core Insights - McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is experiencing immediate investor caution due to sensitive discretionary spending cuts, which may impact its upside potential despite being viewed as a defensive play in the retail segment [1]. Company Analysis - The macroeconomic headwinds present a risk to McDonald's growth prospects, indicating that external economic factors could influence its performance [1]. Industry Context - The current environment of discretionary spending cuts suggests a challenging landscape for companies in the retail sector, including fast-food chains like McDonald's, which may need to adapt to changing consumer behaviors [1].