Weight Loss Drugs Give Restaurants a New Hurdle: Diners Who Eat Less

Six months ago, Deborah VanTrece, the chef and owner of Twisted Soul Cookhouse Pours in Atlanta, noticed she was running out of containers for diners to take leftovers home.

“It wasn’t a few bites left over. It was half a plate.” Ms. VanTrece recalled. “I was like, ‘Did our portions change?’”

No. It was that more customers were on GLP-1 weight-loss medications. Restaurants, from cozy, upscale establishments to national fast-food chains, are figuring out how to adapt menus for the 11 percent of adults, or roughly 30 million Americans, using drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound. People on these medications are eating out less and spending less when they do.

“We always ask guests about meals that aren’t fully consumed, and they are very forthcoming in letting you know it’s ‘the shots,’” Ms. VanTrece said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/business/restaurants-glp1-weight-loss.html