Rising commodity prices and the high cost of gasoline have finally broken the budget-minded approach that restaurants embraced to keep their cash-strapped customers coming.
Across the country, in chain after chain, menu prices are climbing — or portions are shrinking — as restaurants contend with across-the-board increases in the cost of everything from pork to plastic cups.
So far, the price increases have been incremental and nearly negligible — 1% seems to be the norm — but federal agencies predict that relief won’t arrive for restaurants until next year, meaning more increases could be ahead.