What the Kwasi Moses’s meme lacked in visual flair, it made up for in impact. Last week the California-based chef shared on his
Instagram a straightforward list of ingredients and supplies, comparing what they cost a year ago against today: The price of fryer oil had more than doubled since 2020. The cost of takeout boxes had increased by nearly four times. And a case of chicken wings had spiked 388 percent.
The post struck a nerve. Soon, the food corner of Instagram was inundated with chefs and restaurateurs reposting this simple image on their feeds and in their stories to commiserate about inflation. Restaurants once again found themselves at the tip of the spear of another economic shock. After feeling the squeeze from the pandemic the last 19 months, restaurants are now being hit with rising costs for ingredients and supplies across the board, as the global supply chain falters.
“It’s everything: beef, lamb, soap, plastic, wine, plate ware and glasses. It’s wild,” says
Joe Flamm, who opened his
Chicago restaurant
Rose Mary earlier this year. “Also, everything is hard to get—distributors are not taking accounts and canceling accounts because they don’t have the drivers.”
The inflation is being felt around the country. “The price increase for meat is substantial and is having a tremendous impact on our business,” says Erin Smith, the chef and co-founder of
Feges BBQ in
Houston. “Brisket costs have gone up 45 percent since 2020! Brisket makes up 75 percent of our sales because in Texas beef is king.”
Several chefs, including
Burt Bakman of Slab in Los Angeles and Claudette Zepeda of
Vaga north of
San Diego, told
Robb Report that even a little thing like gloves have become a hot commodity. At Vaga, the kitchen staff are acutely aware of the shortage. “Everyone steals a box when they come in, just in case we can’t get them fast,” Zepeda says.