Calgary restaurant and food truck owners struggle with tough decisions amid soaring inflation

Calgary restaurant owners say they are being forced to hike up their menu prices and cut staff hours due to rising food and material costs.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the cost of living has soared for millions across the globe — and Calgary's food service industry is feeling the pinch. 

Carolina De La Torre says since this past winter, inflation has been causing problems for her business. She's the co-owner of Arepas Ranch, a food truck and catering service in Calgary.

De La Torre has run the food truck with her husband, Phanor Viera, and their daughter, Karen, for six years.

Through their business, the family has introduced many Calgarians to the arepa: a traditional dish from Venezuela and Colombia. 

But the prices of some essential arepa ingredients, like corn flour and canola oil, have fallen victim to inflation. 

"It's hard for the business, it's really hard," De La Torre said. 

The food truck owner says she's trying to cut costs where she can so customers don't see a significant spike in menu prices. 

De La Torre said the family business is trying to source more local, seasonal produce from farmers' markets. They're also going directly to wholesalers now for some ingredients. 

But even with those savings, De La Torre says the business has had to raise the price of most items on their menu by a dollar.

Adding even more financial stress on the food truck's bottom line are the sky high prices for gas and propane.

Rising food costs have forced Arepas Ranch to change some of its recipes. The price of yuca, a root plant, has almost doubled, according to De La Torre, so the food truck has replaced that ingredient with the cheaper option of plantains.

Avocados are also more expensive, so the business is rationing its guacamole more carefully than before. 

However, while their profits have fallen over the last six months, the family remains optimistic.