America's K-shaped economy has turned restaurant winners and losers upside down

Clark stays away from foods made with refined white flour, and lots of added sugar.

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• Fast food's recession playbook is breaking as deals fail to lure pressured consumers.
• Casual dining is winning the K-shaped economy while fast food leans harder on discounts.
• Analysts told Business Insider that the discount strategy is a double-edged sword.

For the past few decades, fast food consumption has had a reliable recession indicator: when budgets tighten...