Inflation the next challenge for restaurants after COVID
LOS ANGELES - Restaurants may be surviving through the pandemic, but inflation appears to be the next hurdle.
Robert Vinokur has experienced a lot in his time running restaurants, but 2022’s prices are something he’s never seen.
"Every week the prices fluctuate. So one week we can have our oil that we use and it could be $40 and the next day it's $30, when we originally started paying $15," said Vinokur. "We’re blindsided because the prices are just going up."
Vinokur and Chef Ronnie Muñoz opened up a 3-in-1 restaurant concept on Sunset Blvd. this year but say it’s not easy to attract new customers in this economy.
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"They show up here for the first time because they wrote about us and heard about us and they come there like ‘oh my gosh it’s a $14 sandwich with no French fries’," said Vinokur.
Vinokur says customers should understand restaurants are experiencing the same sticker shock as everyone else.
"Be kind be mindful about it," said Vinokur. "Know that we’re doing our best to keep our prices as low as possible but still give the best service and the best quality food to all of our consumers."