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Covid, Staffing And Now, Inflation
We all know about the staffing crisis in restaurants since the pandemic, and the impact it is having on their ability to offer the same service they did in the Before Times. Actually, staffing has been a problem for restaurants going back to the mid-2010s, but Covid definitely highlighted it.
Now it turns out that inflation, for many places, is turning out to be even more troublesome.
A new survey from Alignable, which tracks small business trends, says nearly three out of four restaurant owners fear they could be driven out of business if prices don’t moderate. They are by far the most worried group of business owners among those surveyed.
About 60 percent of those surveyed say inflation is turning out to be a bigger problem than the challenges posed by Covid itself.
The business owners, who were surveyed in May, say costs on average are 25 percent higher than they were in 2019, but they have not been able to pass along the entire increase. Meanwhile, revenue has dropped by as much as half, for some of them.
I have been thinking about this as I move around New Orleans. Compared with Ann Arbor, prices are generally lower. But I’m finding it very easy to fritter away my money, to quote one of my mother’s favorite expressions.
So, I’ve been economizing. For the most part, I’ve been making iced coffee at home, at a cost of about 75 cents per drink (I pull shots from Nespresso capsules) rather than spend $4 plus tip at a coffee spot. Boba tea is not the phenomenon it is in Ann Arbor, where it’s easy to drop $15 on two large drinks, so that is another savings.
Portions are so big here that I can get multiple meals from a dining out experience. I brought home a $16 selection of three salads last week from The Larder Gourmet Market in Metarie, and had them two days in a row.
Ways to offset it
But, I’ve run into some cost surprises, too. When I was looking at a bakery receipt, I noticed a charge I’ve never seen before. I paid 65 cents for my loaf of bread to be sliced.
The charge wasn’t mentioned in house, and I thought it could be a mistake, so I checked prices on the website. Yes, it‘s real.
Recently, my friends at AB’s Amazing Ribs and Sauce in Dearborn, Mich., posted an alert to customers: order the beef short ribs now, because they are about to go away. (Maxine loved those ribs, and it was awesome to watch a 93-year-old tuck into one.)
“Why?” I emailed owner Ali Bazzy. “People don’t want to pay,” he answered. He had been charging per rib, but his costs fluctuate and the supply is not consistent, meaning he could end up losing money on one of his most popular items.
Last week, Ali came with a solution. The short ribs are now available only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday after 3 pm, and he is charging by the pound, not per rib. “Supply will always be limited, and we recommend that you reserve on the day before,” he posted on Instagram.
Staking your claim
I am quickly learning the importance of staking my claim, when it’s something for which I have a hankering. The abundance of online ordering sites makes it easier for customers to avoid disappointment, and advance orders can be helpful to owners trying to manage inventory.
Another tactic, familiar to anyone who travels in Europe, is only to produce what is likely to sell out. A number of the bakeries I’ve visited here regularly run low on their items by late morning.
One was completely cleaned out of pastry by 11 am on a weekday, and there was no chance of restocking, since they close after lunch. Even one of my sources of bagels regularly sells out, despite prices that might deter some bagel lovers. (I remember when they were 75 cents each at H&H.)
For consumers, the current climate means paying more, and likely having less choice than we once did. For owners, it is frustrating, too, and you can easily understand their pessimism.
I’d be interested to hear your inflation thoughts. Which food related increases have you encountered lately that raised your eyebrows? Have you had trouble finding your favorites?
A Salute To A Great Sport
This weekend has marked Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. It was a great honor for my mother to be invited to events for her Silver Jubilee. I have some of the souvenirs she brought back - my favorite is a blue and white Wedgewood candy box with the Queen’s iconic portrait.
Last night, to the great surprise of the audience watching the Party at the Palace, the Queen took part in an opening skit with Paddington Bear. It involved food, namely jam sandwiches.
She truly is a good sport - first the Olympics bit in 2012 with James Bond, now Paddington, who I have adored all my life. Take a look.
Meanwhile, the Cambridge kiddies got in on the Jubilee action. They helped bake cakes for a party in Wales. (Don’t miss Prince Louis at the KitchenAid in the background.)
Farewell To Howard Johnson’s
Orange roofs and 28 flavors of ice cream have disappeared from the American dining scene. The last Howard Johnson’s is gone.
Your feelings about HoJo’s probably vary by upbringing and income level. My parents were the quintessential “pack a lunch” family, and resisted our pleas to stop there on our road trips.
We did make a legendary stop at Howard Johnson’s in St. Louis. My papa booked us into the motor lodge, where we hunkered down in a massive thunderstorm. The power went out - fun for kids, not so fun for the grownups who wanted a cool respite after a hot summer day.
Then, there was a knock at the door. The manager invited guests down for free ice cream. Since it was all going to melt, he decided to give it to the guests. Absolute heaven and one of the best family memories ever.
Later, my memories of Howard Johnson were of a more desolate outpost at 46th Street and Broadway in New York’s Times Square. Why was it there? Who actually ate there? I wondered, while scurrying along to the subway.
Still, people rhapsodize about its fried clams and the multiple choices of ice cream at a time when many parlors had 10 or fewer.
The America of shared cultural experiences is vanishing, and Howard Johnson’s is now another lost icon.
Food as comfort
On my last trip to London in 2016, I was happy to meet Bee Wilson, the talented British food writer. Her books are written in a thoughtful, well-researched and approachable way, and she touches on relatable subjects.
I was sorry to learn, via this essay in the Guardian, that Bee and her husband were divorcing after 22 years of marriage. But, while she explains her own grief, Bee sets out to explain how cooking has helped other people in traumatic situations.
And there is also humor. When Bee first took off her wedding ring, she viewed it as an object of sadness. But, she subsequently saw it as a culinary tool (read all the way through her essay to find out what).
Pride Is Here. Are You Up For A Rainbow Croissant?
June is Pride month, a celebration of the LGBTQ community. Once a time for activists and their allies, rainbow colors have become a way for brands and other businesses to show solidarity.
Some definitely resonate. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants sold out of caps with rainbow logos as soon as they were posted for sale last week.
I wonder, however, if colored food might be going a little too far. First, there were rainbow bagels on The Great British Bake Off. Multi-layered rainbow cakes abound. Now, I’ve spied rainbow croissants here in Nola.
Tell me what you think about edible expressions of Pride. Yay, nay or it depends?
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
Want to get in touch? You can reach me at CulinaryWoman at gmail dot com.
Follow my new Instagram account, @micki_in_nola to see my adventures here. I’m on Twitter @culinarywoman.
Thanks again to our new readers and looking forward to your feedback.
Covid is infecting many people that I know, so please watch your health. See you next week!