Davids Visits Paola Restaurant Forced to Raise Prices Amid Rising Food Costs

PAOLA, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids visited We B Smokin', a restaurant in Paola, where owners recently raised menu prices after sharp increases in the cost of beef and other food products. During the visit, Davids heard directly from the small business owners about the challenges rising costs are creating for restaurants and consumers alike.

“Small businesses are doing everything they can to keep prices down, but they're getting hit by rising costs that are making it harder to stay afloat,” said Davids. “When the cost of basic ingredients keeps going up, local restaurants are often left with impossible choices. I'll keep fighting to bring costs down and pushing back against reckless policies that are making it harder for Kansas families and small businesses to get ahead.”

“We did everything we could to avoid raising prices, but the cost of beef jumped so much that we had no choice,” said Gloria Bright, owner, We B Smokin’. “We raised some menu prices by 25 percent, and even then, we're still not fully covering our costs. Other meats are getting more expensive too, and if these increases continue, we'll have to raise prices across the board. We kept hoping prices would stabilize, but so far they've only continued to climb.”

We B Smokin' recently increased menu prices after the cost of beef rose from $6.70 per pound to $8.88 per pound. According to the owners, profit margins on some beef items had already been reduced to zero in an effort to avoid raising prices for customers. However, continued increases in food costs ultimately forced the restaurant to raise prices by approximately 25 percent. Even after the increase, some menu items are still not covering their full costs.

The owners also noted that the prices of other proteins — including turkey, pork, chicken, and ham — have continued to increase. They warned that if current trends continue, additional menu price increases may become necessary.

Earlier this year, Davids called on the Trump Administration to reverse a policy that would significantly increase imports of Argentinian beef. Economists say increasing imports is unlikely to lower consumer prices while potentially increasing market volatility and benefiting large corporations over family ranchers. Farm bankruptcies are also rising, and more imports risk further squeezing struggling operations without delivering meaningful relief at the grocery store. The administration received bipartisan backlash over its original beef trade deal last year.

Davids has made lowering the cost of groceries for families and small businesses a priority in Congress, including by: 

• Completing a one-day tour to highlight how strengthening supply chains helps lower grocery prices for Kansas families.
• Supporting the bipartisan Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act, which ensures fair compensation for all farms affected by avian flu, including those in both infected and buffer zones.
• Urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to begin enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act to prevent corporate price discrimination that drives up grocery costs for consumers.
• Voting to pass the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act to shore up the food and agriculture supply chain, ensure fair competition in the meat and poultry sectors, and lower food and gasoline costs for consumers.
• Supporting the Price Gouging Prevention Act, legislation ensuring large corporations can’t take advantage of consumers at the grocery store.
• Holding multiple roundtables with Kansas business, manufacturing, and technology leaders on how recent legislation to improve supply chains will help boost their businesses’ financial security.
• Working a “Sharice’s Shift” at a local Price Chopper, where she helped store employees unload deliveries from shipping trucks, stock grocery shelves, and bag groceries.