Soaring prices on the menu

THE STORY: Area restaurant owners got to see some numbers Tuesday evening that they're all too familiar with. In the past year, soy prices are up 76.55 percent, wheat is up 67.95 percent, cheddar is up 29.65 percent and diesel fuel is up 48.6 percent.

THE LINK: www.oaoa.com/news/restaurant_17019___article.html/percent_prices.html

THE POLL: How many times do you eat out each week?
>> 0-1: 22 percent (6 votes).
>> 2-3: 33 percent (9 votes).
>> 4-5: 19 percent (5 votes).
>> 6-7: 11 percent (3 votes).
>> 8-9: 4 percent (1 votes).
>> 10 or more: 11 percent (3 votes).

YOUR COMMENTS:
>> "I'm kind of curious how immigration reform will affect the staffing at a resturant. Of the people that could be recruited from Mexico or other coutries, wouldn't they need to be fluent in English to wait on your customers? Cooks could be non English speaking, assuming that they spoke a language that someone could communicate with them. Sounds to me like the resturant industry needs to do what other industries have done to recruit staff. Offer more money. Now, I like to eat out, but I understand the issues. I think we should explore what a plate of cheese enchiladas actually costs to prepare. Three corn tortillas,some cheese, a scoop of beans, and a cup of rice. $7.50 at some resturants. Yes, folks, that is SEVEN DOLLARS. Oh, but you must take into account the cost of labor. How about this. I'll continue to tip, like always, to your two dollar and some change wait staff, and you lower your prices. It is absolutely absurd what it costs to eat at a Mexican resturant."