BEAUMONT, Texas — Small Southeast business owners are struggling to stay in business due to a multitude of obstacles that stem from the global pandemic and the ongoing conflict in eastern Europe.
The last two years have been tough for the food industry, and food truck owners said they are getting hit especially hard.
Many are feeling the pain at the pumps as gas prices change. In some areas, gas prices have gone from $3.15 to $3.35 a gallon.
Area food truck owners said this rise in prices in addition to supply and food shortages are making it hard to stay in business. These multitude of obstacles could potentially affect consumers and small businesses as a whole.
‘When the gas prices are up, it trickles down and affects not only me and my family but my employees,” Joshua Gillam, owner of Team Gillam Food Truck, said. "Because when prices are up, I can’t give them raises and spend more money on gas.”
Small business experts said small and big business are reliant on the price of fuel.
“So, there is a direct correlation for those types of businesses and a indirect type of correlation for most small businesses," Tim Jeffcoat, Small Business Association district director, said.
The ongoing conflict in Russia also seems to majorly affect the cost of gas in the U.S. Jeffcoat said small business owners could potentially feel the effects of this for quite some time and may have to consider raising their prices.
“So, for the small business out there that could be feeling the pinch of gas prices right now on your operating part profits, then you really want to consider whether price increases are really plausible," Jeffcoat said. "Because, I don't think this is something that will go away tomorrow. It will be with us for some few months.”
The obstacles and complications are forcing food truck owners to make changes to stay afloat.
“In every aspect, you know, not just in how people expect the just moving from place to place since we are a mobile business, but it's everything from food, having to cancel events that are further away,” Aaron Sanchez, owner of A&A Food Company, said.
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