It’s not just you. San Francisco chefs are “mortified” by how much it costs to eat at their restaurants.
That’s according to Sara Deseran, an editor-at-large at The Standard who covers food and dining. She talked to chefs and restaurant owners who are trying to price their menus without scaring away customers.
“They understand as diners themselves that no one will want to come to a restaurant that is too expensive,” Deseran said. “Yet they have to keep their restaurant in business. And that is where the tightrope is being walked.”
Higher food costs, rising salaries, and surcharges for employee healthcare are just some of the market forces driving menu prices ever upward.
“I look at [our menus], and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t charge that much,’” said Melissa Perello, chef and owner of San Francisco restaurants Frances (opens in new tab) and Octavia (opens in new tab). “But then, you know, I really have to stop and think that we really do.”
“It’s embarrassing,” added Craig Stoll, chef at Delfina (opens in new tab). “We have to manage expectations, and then we have to deliver. It’s a very tricky thing to pull off night after night after night.”
This week on “Pacific Standard Time,” Deseran sits down with host Emily Dreyfuss to discuss how chefs feel about their menu prices, what factors are influencing costs, and what diners can do to feel a little better when settling the tab.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)or Apple Podcasts (opens in new tab)
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