WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — If you meal prep, you're probably spending more on groceries today than you did a year ago. If you dine out, you're probably spending even more.
A report by USA Today found that Georgia has seen the nation's 6th highest increase in restaurant inflation. They found that when consumers go to restaurants, they are spending more than they did previously.
They say that spending at restaurants per consumer over two-week increments rose, on average, from $91.45 in November of 2022 to $112.95 in June 2023.
While this is happening, however, they say that the number of people going to restaurants is down 1%, according to data from OpenTable.
So what's the culprit? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices are 5.7% higher in June 2023 than they were in June 2022, and this can cause problems for many local restaurants.
Amber Walker is the general manager of The Taco Shed near Robins Air Force Base. She said her business struggles with "sky-high prices."
Walker said her low prices make it easy for the famished to get a bite to eat, but sometimes, it comes at the expense of the restaurant's bottom line.
"For us, it's constantly trying to shop around for best quality for best dollar," she said. "It's a decision each business has to make: how much do you pass along and still maintain business."
Walker's business practices keep folks like Jessica Holderbaugh coming back for more.
"What keeps Warner Robins going is local businesses, local restaurants," Holderbaugh said.
In appreciation of their service, she has built relationships with some local business owners.
"We've gotten to know the owners and we know the people that come there," Holderbaugh said. "So, we don't mind paying a little extra to help them get through the inflation for them too."
With priorities shifting regularly, Walker said she is always mindful of costs.
"Things that we want to improve and we wanna change, we have to kinda weigh out those options and decide where the money is best spent," she said.
The U.S. inflation rate for the month of June 2023 was 2.97%, which is down from the high of 9.06% back in June 2022.
The inflation rate shows how much prices have changed in a bundle of goods that consumers often buy, so that means, while prices in the U.S. are increasing, they are not increasing as fast as they were a year ago.
According to the Department of Agriculture, prices at restaurants in June 2023 are 7.7% higher than they were back in June 2022. From May to June of this year, restaurant prices have increased 0.4%.
At the same time, food at the grocery store -- or food-at-home as they call it -- increased 4.7% between June 2022 and Junes 2023, the Department of Agriculture says. But between May and June of 2023, they say food prices at the grocery store actually decreased 0.1%.
Between 2023 and 2024, the Department of Agriculture expects the price of food at the grocery store to increase 0.9%. But at restaurants, the Department of Agriculture predicts prices will continue to increase 6.1% over that same time period.
USA Today announced restaurant spending is up 20% in Georgia since November. They also said reservations have dropped 5% since February. Over a two-week period, an average person dining in the Peach State spends $122.75 to dine out.