Gas Prices Hurting Local Business, Could Cause Prices to Rise
By: Kristin Anderson
Updated: February 19, 2013
These days it's about more than cooking pizza.
"What we do is we try to make due with less," said Pizza Inn owner Charles Verner.
It's about cooking up a solution to higher gas costs.
"I come in early in the morning and do the work that two people used to do," he continued. "And that's how's we're dealing with it now. But you can only do that so much."
The recent spike in gas prices not only affects how much you pay at the pump, it could affect how much you pay when you go out to eat. The owner of pizza inn says those higher gas prices are already having an impact on his business.
"The price of gas goes up even a small bit. Our cheese goes up, produce goes up, our food goes up," Verner said.
And it costs more to fill up those delivery cars. Normally that two dollar delivery fee helps drivers pay for the gas. But now, more customers are having their food delivered to avoid driving. Which means that a measly two dollars isn't making ends meet.
"That's a hardship for our drivers," Verner explained. "And, of course, two dollars doesn't go as far as it did a year ago."
But it's not just finding ways to cut back. Charles says that when the price of gas goes up, the number of customers goes down.
"A lot of our customers are regulars. And they talk to me and they say, you know, we can't afford to come in here as often as we used to because more of our budget goes towards gas," said Verner.
Saying that they're doing everything they can to avoid raising their prices on the menu.
"Because everybody's in a pinch right now," he said. "And we understand that would just cut down on our customers coming in the door if we had to raise prices."
But until gas prices drop, even if it's just a little bit, pizza inn will be in a pinch as well.
"What we do is we try to make due with less," said Pizza Inn owner Charles Verner.
It's about cooking up a solution to higher gas costs.
"I come in early in the morning and do the work that two people used to do," he continued. "And that's how's we're dealing with it now. But you can only do that so much."
The recent spike in gas prices not only affects how much you pay at the pump, it could affect how much you pay when you go out to eat. The owner of pizza inn says those higher gas prices are already having an impact on his business.
"The price of gas goes up even a small bit. Our cheese goes up, produce goes up, our food goes up," Verner said.
And it costs more to fill up those delivery cars. Normally that two dollar delivery fee helps drivers pay for the gas. But now, more customers are having their food delivered to avoid driving. Which means that a measly two dollars isn't making ends meet.
"That's a hardship for our drivers," Verner explained. "And, of course, two dollars doesn't go as far as it did a year ago."
But it's not just finding ways to cut back. Charles says that when the price of gas goes up, the number of customers goes down.
"A lot of our customers are regulars. And they talk to me and they say, you know, we can't afford to come in here as often as we used to because more of our budget goes towards gas," said Verner.
Saying that they're doing everything they can to avoid raising their prices on the menu.
"Because everybody's in a pinch right now," he said. "And we understand that would just cut down on our customers coming in the door if we had to raise prices."
But until gas prices drop, even if it's just a little bit, pizza inn will be in a pinch as well.
