From July 2021 to July 2022, the cost of a case of chicken breasts for chef Kurt Fleischfresser’s restaurants went from $109 to $160. Butter rose from $77 to $127, and plastic cups went from $89 to $159.
In addition to rising costs with goods, Fleischfresser saw increases in labor costs and declines in sales of wine and spirits.
“Expense-wise, some things just got crazy,” Fleischfresser said. “That’s just a lot to take in. So between the combination of those things — a 50% increase in everything that happens — that makes it hard especially in an industry where the margins are so low.”
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing has seemed universally unavoidable — rising costs. There are few places consumers can go today without seeing the effects of inflation.
From grocery stores to gas stations, automobiles to real estate, the dollar seems to get less across the board.
According to food distributor Ben E. Keith, grocery prices are 25% higher than they were pre-pandemic, and consumers are spending about 4% more for meals in restaurants and bars than last year.