Yes, Your Favorite Neighborhood Spots Are Still Struggling from Inflation and Tariffs

"Bodenheimer said he's adjusting portions, like one less deviled egg per platter, or rearranging the measurements of a batched cocktail. "It's like you're in a recording studio, and you're turning the levels up and down on the master board," he said. Many of Cure's products are imported, from German beer, French cheese and Spanish Marcona almonds, which Bodenheimer refuses to substitute. He said some of the tariff burden is shared between the supplier and importer before it reaches the customer."

"Jamila Wright, co-founder of Brooklyn Tea, imports teas from around the world to sell in her cafes and online store, but the combined effects of tariffs and rising shipping costs have made her operations increasingly difficult. "Our oolong teas are now in flux, because Taiwan no longer ships to the US due to the high demands around tariffs," Wright said. "That just changes our entire menu." Taiwan's postal service suspended delivering commercial items to the U.S. after the Trump administration ended "Duty-Free de minimis Treatment" in August."

Tariffs and higher shipping costs are increasing input costs for bars, cafes and specialty food retailers. Operators are reluctant to raise menu prices and instead adjust portions, batch recipes, and share costs with suppliers and importers. Many businesses import unique ingredients with no domestic equivalents, forcing difficult sourcing choices. Industry data show 60% of food and beverage professionals are directly affected by tariffs and 76% report that rising ingredient costs reduced profitability. Postal and customs policy changes, such as ending duty-free de minimis treatment, have disrupted shipments from places like Taiwan, further complicating supply and potentially requiring substantial price increases.

Read at Bon Appetit