Rising food costs have restaurants reeling 'big time'

The rising price of food is costing Windsor restaurant owners big time.

The Food Institute in Guelph forecasts that food price increases will again exceed the general inflation rate in Canada in 2016, costing the average household an extra $345 in 2016.

But restaurant owners aren't being spared the same expense.

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So, CBC Windsor checked in with a variety of restaurant owners to see what they're paying for food and how they're trying to save a buck or two to offset the cost.

No discounts or delivery

Shaukat Khan owns Kebab N Curry on Wyandotte Street W. He says many of his produce costs have doubled.

Having just opened last April, he's reluctant to raise menu prices.

Instead, he's pulling back on the 10-per-cent discount he used to offer all customers.

"Some customers, we are still honouring 10-per-cent discounts, like a lot of the students, but not for everybody," Khan said. "We used to do free delivery. Now, we charge a delivery fee, so we cover what we are putting from our pocket."

Khan says he's temporarily pulled ground chicken from his menu, because of a spike in the price.

$3.99 heads of lettuce

Amjad Awad just opened MJ's Pizza & Wings a few months ago and has already seen his cost of doing business skyrocket.

"We've noticed the most in the vegetables. We've seen some items triple the price, some double. There's a big increase for sure," he said. "Heads of lettuce, like iceberg lettuce, went from 89 cents to now $2.99 or $3.99 a head.

"The celery, which we offer as a side with our wings, and the prices went from $60 a box to now $104 at the wholesale."

Alternate sides

Curtis Brathwaite at Sweet Pea's Eats and Treats says he often suggests alternatives to customers instead of a side salad.

"How about you try our twisted nacho wrap? That's one of our special wraps that we have. Something else, where we use less of those green products that are spiking in the price right now," he said.