Food and dining out costs have risen across the country, and Houston is no exception. One business was even highlighted by the Houston Chronicle after it started charging over thirty dollars for one plate of pasta.
Restaurants have been trying their best to keep costs down, but as Jonathan Horowitz with Convive Hospitality Consulting explained, that's easier said than done. He said, "Their only real recourse in the long run is to continue to raise menu prices to help counter all of the increased costs."
Horowitz also pointed out that these cost increases facing restaurants are coming from multiple fronts, including some of the same property tax and insurance rate increases that have hit their customers. He explained, "Landowners and landlords have to deal with higher taxes and more insurance. That gets passed along to the tenant, the restaurant owner."
He says restaurants are also having to deal with a shift in consumer habits, primarily an ongoing shift by many away from alcohol. According to Horowitz, "Restaurants that have relied on alcohol sales to boost their profit margin are seeing that decline. They're needing to deal with that as another element of that economic pressure."
The good news is, none of this means you'll have to pay thirty-plus dollars for your next plate of pasta. Horowitz pointed to mid-tier chain and family restaurants as being great options for those who want to still eat out but not break the bank.