By Zafeiris Akranis, in The Philadelphia Citizen

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Some foods reflect the state of the economy. The Costco hot dog. The $1 pizza slice. A dozen eggs. Rumors of price hikes on these items don’t just track to rising ingredient costs; they signal broader sentiment shifts among companies and consumers.

In Philadelphia, the cheesesteak has long been that economic bellwether. As a city, our general mood is often defined by the state of our cheesesteak scene – how easy it is to get a decent one and how much it costs. These days, we’re all a little on edge. The cost of a cheesesteak is going up. It’s not unusual to see steaks at reputable neighborhood shops approaching the $15 or $20 mark (and that’s before the truffle wiz and wagyu). The media, and the city, have taken notice. As restaurants and food suppliers contemplate raising prices, Philadelphians are calling for transparency and key cost details.

We’ll start: At Philly’s Best Steak Company, we’ve had to raise prices. We supply beef and chicken to some of the city’s most iconic cheesesteak shops. The cost of beef is on the rise, driven by factors like declining herd sizes, tariffs and trade tensions, and strong demand. That impacts our business, despite every effort to absorb those costs and limit their impacts.

For most restaurant owners, raising prices is a last resort. Unlike supermarkets, which hike prices quietly, restaurants face instant scrutiny and risk losing loyal customers. Even small increases can mean costly menu changes, reworked promotions, and damage to hard-earned trust. When price hikes are unavoidable, the only way to keep diners coming back is with honest, heartfelt communication explaining that the change is about survival, not padding profits.

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READ MORE AT THE PHILADELPHIA CITIZEN

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