CHANDLER, AZ — You may have noticed going out to eat is costing a little more, as ongoing supply chain issues are forcing restaurants to raise their prices.
Mesaya Rowden, owner of Chon Thai Food in Chandler, says she made the difficult choice to raise her prices for the first time in four years.
"This is the last resort for us to stay in business because I have employees and they have bills to pay and they have families to feed," said Rowden. "I'm also a mom of two girls that I have to feed, too."
Rowden says once she upped her prices by a few dollars, she started getting some negative feedback from customers, which is why she posted a message on her Facebook page letting them know how much the cost of food has risen. Chicken, for example, used to cost her about $60 a case. It's now $110.
Rowden says to-go containers are also nearly impossible to find. Luckily, restaurant owners are a tight-knit community. She says they've been helping each other out when they come across certain items.
"It's been tough," she said. "I'm trying to do everything I can to make this place grow so my staff still has a job. I want to ensure them, we're still going to be here. We can get through this."
Rowden says she has many regular customers who are understanding of the situation and she is grateful for their support.
