Let Them Eat Kix
I never parted with a $20 bill faster.
It happened at one of my favorite diners. The Western omelet and Diet Coke I often get wasn’t the $11 it had been for as long as I remember.
It was $16.
That expense, with my tip for the excellent waiter, consumed my entire $20 bill.
I feel bad for the diner’s owner. He told me that soaring food costs have been killing his profits for months. He’s been forced to raise his prices, yet he’s making half of what he used to.
Why?
First, his labor costs are up because there is a shortage of workers and he has to pay them a higher hourly wage or they won’t take the job.
And second, because he has to charge higher prices, his customer base is dwindling.
As wonderful as a diner breakfast is, more people, getting hit by inflation across the board, are choosing to stay home and eat a bowl of Wheaties or Kix instead.
I’m certainly no economist. But I know this: inflation stinks.
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Copyright 2021 Tom Purcell, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com
