$25 for that? Consumers are going elsewhere for lunch.

Sweetgreen's office staff have a stricter in-person requirement starting next month.Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThis post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.Good morning. Last night, US President Donald Trump said he was firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook "effective immediately." In a letter shared on Truth Social, Trump said there was "sufficient reason" to believe Cook had made false statements on mortgage agreements.In response, Cook said Trump has no authority to fire her and she will not resign.Meanwhile, in today's newsletter, fast casual chains like Chipotle and Cava are losing their freshness.What's on deck:Markets: Why Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad won't save American Eagle's stock.Tech: A mix of AI FOMO and fear is sweeping Hollywood.Business: Why Labubus are a billion-dollar bubble ready to burst.But first, the rise and fall of the fast-casual slop bowl.If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.The big storySplat goes the slop bowlAlexander Spatari/Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BILet's grab lunch — my treat. Anywhere you want, as long as it's not Chipotle, Cava, or Sweetgreen. You expect me to pay $25 for … that?They've been dubbed "slop bowls," those mounds of vegetables, grains, and a protein or two. They were all the rage in the 2010s. Now, they could be why some fast casual chains are losing out, BI's Emily Stewart writes.The complaints are piling up: warm, weird salads; ingredients combined in the wrong way; portions so small, customers are filming employees just to try and get more food. And for the privilege? A price tag that makes you want to hurl."Value is front of mind for nearly every consumer right now, and I think these restaurants just don't have a sharp enough value proposition," says Zak Stambor, a senior retail and e-commerce analyst at EMARKETER.So consumers appear to be going elsewhere, to places where, if they're spending that kind of money, they can sit down and get a better experience. Places that feel more affordable, more satisfying. Places like Chili's.Chili's parent company, Brinker International, reported strong earnings on August 13, 2025.Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesChili's has been on a hot streak.In its most recent earnings report, the CEO of Chili's parent company, Brinker, took a victory lap, declaring: "Chili's is officially back, baby back."The chain posted impressive sales growth, pushing Brinker's revenue past Wall Street's expectations to $1.46 billion.Alex Fasciano, a senior equity research analyst at CFRA Research, noted that Darden Restaurants (which owns Olive Garden) and The Cheesecake Factory have also had a strong year.Part of that growth may come from value-conscious diners tired of paying more for less."Why am I paying $25 for a burrito and chips and guac when I could pay maybe a little bit more and have full service?" Fasciano says.With more of us heading back into the office, many are only just realising how expensive these slop bowls have gotten. What started as a slightly more expensive, healthier alternative to fast food now feels overpriced and underwhelming.As America's slop bowl moment fades, the next big thing might just be a full plate and a fair price.3 things in marketsAndrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images1. Trump has bought $100 million in bonds since starting his second term. That's according to a new filing from the Office of Government Ethics. The president's bond purchases could stand to benefit if the Federal Reserve cuts rates, which Trump has been pressuring the central bank to do for months.2. Behind Palantir's bad month. The tech titan's stock was flying high in 2025, reaching a record high in mid-August before shares fell 17%. Investors are feeling hesitant about Palantir's stock for three reasons, but optimism remains strong around its long-term trajectory.3. Sydney Sweeney can't keep American Eagle's stock afloat. Bank of America analysts cut their rating on the stock to "underperform," citing the negative impact of tariffs. Any positive impact from Sweeney's jeans ad, including its rise to meme stock fame last month, will get canceled out, the firm said.3 things in techGetty Images; Tyler Le/BI1. How Hollywood is using AI on the hush. Entertainment giants like Netflix and Lionsgate have recently touted their embrace of AI, but the tech still has a stigma among the creative community. Five Hollywood insiders told BI they dread being associated with AI, and those who are using it are doing so in secret.2. Meta continues to poach AI talent for its superintelligence team. Meta has recruited at least 10 previously unreported researchers from Google's DeepMind since July, according to LinkedIn data reviewed by BI. The tech giant has also targeted Scale AI, with six of its AI researchers announcing their departures to join Meta in recent weeks.3. OpenAI ramps up its healthcare push with a new hire. The company has tapped Doximity cofounder Nate Gross to lead its growing healthcare business. OpenAI aims to sell directly to healthcare customers rather than power other companies' products, reflecting a larger pivot: it wants to own not just foundation models, but AI infrastructure and applications, too.3 things in businessLabubus are a trend — and all trends come to an end.Faga Almeida/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images1. Why Labubus are a billion-dollar bubble ready to burst. The popular dolls are on track to do $1 billion in sales this year, according to EMARKETER. And although they are no Beanie Babies, it's hard to imagine that Labubus will still be popular years from now, writes BI's Katie Notopoulos.2. Burning Man kicks up business deals, too. Tech moguls, celebrities, and models flock to the Black Rock Desert every year for the Burning Man festival. But they do more than just party: Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and DreamWorks cofounder Jeffrey Katzenberg, are among the leaders who have made key business decisions amid the dusty festivities.3. Why this app's CEO will cancel a user's $25K subscription. Dorsia lets its users snag reservations at top restaurants for either $175, $5,175, or $25,175 a year. CEO Marc Lotenberg says he's kicked several users off the platform since its launch in 2022, and told BI "being rude to servers" is a bannable offense.In other newsWhy Netflix could one day get into the theme park business — and why it hasn't so far.Elon Musk's companies sue Apple and OpenAI, accusing them of an 'anticompetitive scheme.'The US-Intel investment is a rare kind of deal. Trump says he wants more of them.Burning Man hit with massive dust storms.What a 24-year-old analyst learned in his first year at $25 billion Balyasny.Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Meghan Morris, bureau chief, in Singapore. Akin Oyedele, deputy editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York (on parental leave).Read the original article on Business Insider

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$25 for that? Consumers are going elsewhere for lunch.

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