Posted on 04/19/2024 2:13:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Utilities inflation arguably hurts restaurants more than higher food and labor costs
Every time Oakland restaurateur Geoff Davis looks at his PG&E bill, he feels helpless.
“I talk about it a lot with my friends. It’s a big line item for us,” the chef-owner of Burdell told SFGATE. “Last month [PG&E] was like 40% of our rent. It’s an insane amount and obviously this is my first time being an owner, but I know from other places that I’ve worked that it wasn’t this big of a number.”
It’s an expensive time to run a restaurant — or to eat at one. Increased food and labor costs are driving up prices across the board. Commercial utilities, such as water, gas and electricity, have also risen significantly in the last year, according to five restaurant owners who spoke to SFGATE about the effects of commercial rate hikes.
In the Bay Area, where monopolies such as PG&E are often the only utility options, restaurateurs like Davis, a finalist for the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef in California, have few alternatives other than to foot the bill.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Indeed. We have some of the best weather on the planet, too bad it’s in California.
It’ll leave as soon as Gruesome taxes it.
What have we all said about giving them ideas! :-)
You never know. Newsom wanted to or still wants to tax the income of ex-Californians. I’m leaving when my mom passes which could be any day, but I’m not sure anymore to where I’ll move.
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