It’s hard out there for restaurateurs.
In what is — they hope — the tail end of the worst slump in decades, restaurant chains big and small are wrestling with higher prices for key ingredients and crops. The costs of corn, wheat, pork, beef and chicken have risen and are expected to jump more next year.
The big question: When or even whether to pass along those costs. Sure, charging more could help protect profits — but it could also startle customers already shocked by the economy.
Restaurants’ choice of strategy in Atlanta and across the country will influence where Americans eat next year, and how much they spend.