Rising Restaurant Prices

The pain at the pump, affecting all of us. Not only are we paying more to fill up, it's also more expensive to eat out. Big Apple Pizza has been serving pizza and pasta to locals in Port St. Lucie for 25 years. But, rising gas prices are forcing them to raise their prices. Owner Carlos Barros says, ""We needed to put the prices high too or otherwise we can't afford." Barros says his provider for flour and oil has tacked on an extra delivery charge because of gas prices. A new concept causing Barros to pass on part of that cost to his consumers, "Years ago he didn't charge. Now, anything he charge. Like, gas prices. Now, we also charge."

Waitress Ruth La Chere has been serving up pizza and salad for years. She says it's not only gas prices and rising produce prices hurting all restaurant business, "It's turning into more of a delivery place, more than anything. The room used to be packed." She says no one is eating out anymore. High prices on everything are just too much for the average consumer, "It hits everybody. The economy right now, anybody, any business, any person." In just the past 2 weeks Barros raised his menu prices, but did try to hold off on raising the price for his one of a kind pizza.