by fred wilkinson

Despite (or maybe because of) the sometimes overwhelming glut of news and information we are barraged with in our media-saturated age, it can be easy to feel detached from events. Every now and then though, a little slice of dailylife brings home an issue we’ve read about in the news.

That phenomenon happened to me recently when my wife and I were having breakfast at the Waffle House (yes, it’s a terribly glamourous life I lead). Waffle House’s value proposition is pretty straightforward: affordably priced breakfast fare available 24 hours a day. With that in mind, I was a little taken aback when we received our bill and it was $35 and change for the two of us. Sure, we “splurged” a little, with her getting extra sausage for her sausage and egg bowl and me living it up by adding a fried egg to my patty melt. But it was pretty much a simple “entrée and beverage” meal occasion. It wasn’t too long ago that same meal would’ve been mid-$20 range. It underscored for me that food price inflation is for real — and even the humble Waffle House is feeling it. Check out our Consumer Trends Report for a look at how consumers are dealing with food price inflation, and how companies are finding ways to deliver value beyond just pricing.

In other news, The National Provisioner is happy to welcome Sammy Bredar as our new associate editor. Sammy, who graduated summa cum laude from Ball State University in 2022 with a BA in English, joins us after previously working as a freelance writer and assistant editor.

www.provisoneronline.com   |   november 2022