Small-Business Confidence Reaches Highest Point Since December 2004
– The Wall Street Journal
Confidence among small-business, in the upswing since the election, in January reached its highest point in more than a decade, according to the National Federal of Independent Business. That optimism is backed by government data that shows that strong, though decelerating, job growth is translating into hiring and spending.

Why Are Fast Food Visits Slowing?
– San Diego Union-Tribune
With more people working from home and growing numbers of consumers shopping online rather than visiting a store and grabbing a bite to eat, going out for lunch has taken a hit. And because lunch accounts for the single largest share of fast-food restaurant traffic among all meals, the 2 percent decline in those visits had a measurable effect on the segment, new research suggests.

The New Political Battleground: Your Restaurant Receipt
– The Washington Post
The Trump administration’s travel ban and talk about the Mexican border wall caused the owner of Mezcalero, the hottest new Mexican restaurant in the District, to send a message at the bottom of his receipts: “Immigrants help make America great!” The Washington Post looks at this latest ideological and political battleground.

Whole Foods’ Dream Transformed into Its Worst Nightmare
– Business Insider
Whole Foods was a pioneer in organic food in the US decades before such food was popular, betting on the idea that people would pay a premium for the label. The idea paid off: sales of organic food more than tripled from 2005 to 2015, to $43.3 billion from $13.8 billion. However, Whole Foods is now seeing a decline in sales as other grocers up their organic offerings, Business Insider reports.