<body><p>STORY: Shares of Shake Shack plunged as much as 30% on Thursday and were heading for their worst day ever after the restaurant chain reported a quarterly profit loss and missed Wall Street's revenue estimates.</p><p>Shake Shack said it was hurt by rising commodity costs, including beef, and weak consumer spending.</p><p>And it's not the only fast‑food chain seeing consumers tighten their belts.</p><p>McDonald's, Domino's and Papa John's all reported weaker quarterly sales growth, signaling pressure on consumer spending from rising gas prices driven by the U.S. war in Iran.</p><p>Companies like Chipotle and Restaurant Brands International have also flagged rising beef prices, which have set records due to dwindling U.S. cattle supplies.</p><p>Shake Shack executives said on a post-earnings call that the company's short-term results will continue to be impacted by the ongoing war in the Middle East.</p></body>
