PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As inflation surges, the prices of groceries are up, meaning some families are struggling to put food on the table.
It also means local restaurants are forced with the tough decision of whether to increase their prices or hurt their bottom line.
Many restaurants are already struggling to recover from the money they lost during COVID restrictions and shutdowns, and some have told KOIN 6 they’ve been losing money from constant vandalism.
With the U.S. Bureau of Labor saying grocery prices increased 10% from last year, local restaurants have to deal with another obstacle.
Mother’s Bistro and Bar owner Lisa Schroeder says the oil they buy has gone from $30 to $50 and that certain meats have gone from $8 per pound to $14.
“We don’t want to price ourselves out of the market. So we’re just biting the bullet on a lot of this stuff and hoping things might normalize,” Schroeder said. “We need people to understand if the prices go up on the menu, it’s because we’re facing higher prices at the store.”
She also said the increasing price of gas also impacts them as they’re paying a lot more for deliveries now.
“I’m hoping people continue to dine out and we won’t have another punch to (the) face,” Schroeder said.