[ben parrish]

My wheelhouse here… we ARE most definitely in a hyper-inflationary market in our food supply right now. Look for instance at eggs right now; up over 250% in the past year. Shortening/ fry oil up 30% and butter up most 35% since September of this year….not to mention the ridiculous demands of labor. Many restaurants are now paying dishwashers over 15.00hr and up…kitchen staff is 18-20 hr now for little to no skill. Restaurants have always been tough but with spiking costs all around from rent, food, taxes and labor, it is getting harder and harder for them to cut a real profit. Expect to see more “market price” menus as they are just trying to survive in a crazy economy.
BTW, why is it so surprising that restaurants must raise prices regularly? Gas stations and grocery stores are commodity driven businesses that fluctuate by the day on prices. Everything a restaurant serves is reliant on the same fuel and the same market conditions a grocery store and gas station is subjected to.