As the cost of food rises for families across Redmond, restaurants and food trucks are feeling the effects of increased ingredient prices.

Chris Leyden is the chef and owner of Feast Food Company, a restaurant located at 546 NW 7th St., that focuses on using Pacific Northwest ingredients. The brick-and-mortar restaurant has been open for more than two years. Leyden said focusing on local products may have some higher costs, but there is benefit to the stability that comes with it.

“We have seen minimal impact in our pricing structure as our model is built around buying locally and seasonally,” Leyden said. “So in the beginning things may have been a little higher than average, but now we are seeing those prices even out with regular products.”

Leyden said buying local can help all Central Oregon businesses in times of international uncertainty.

“I always encourage the general public to support local companies, farms, ranches in any way possible,” said Leyden “It will help overall to minimize the impact our whole community sees with whatever changes are to come.”

The biggest price increases Feast Food Company has seen has been in oils and proteins — things that are tied to wider price fluctuations.

He noted that even the smallest increase can have devastating effects on businesses that rely on razor-thin margins.

“Restaurants operate with a profit margin of less than 2%, so generally folks are lucky to not lose money,” Leyden said. “A common misconception is that restaurants are some sort of lucrative endeavor … It’s not an easy game to play by any means.”

Leyden said that Feast hasn’t changed its menu because of changing prices, and he also said that any economic uncertainty hasn’t led to a reduction in customers over the last few months. Leyden said he is grateful for the community and tourism in Redmond, which continues to grow. “Overall, we live in an area fortunate enough to have a decent amount of tourism, so with folks coming in and out of the region all year long, there is an ebb and flow of foot traffic,” he said.

Tough on trucks

Food trucks often operate on even smaller margins, with fewer expenses than brick-and-mortar stores, but also hoping to pass those savings on to customers.

The Rogue Chef LLC closed its doors in December 2024 after 11 years in business. During its last few years, truck owner Stephen Peña noticed a huge increase in the price of ingredients, especially on eggs, proteins, cheeses and vegetables.

“The price of eggs was insane. You used to be able to get five dozen eggs for like $17, and then for a while they were going up to like $50 or $60 for five dozen eggs,” Peña said. “Some people just stopped buying … and we just continued on but we got some customers really pissed off.”

Pena said that the truck had locked in prices from vendors for years, but those suddenly started to rise as inflation hit.

“I had a price lock on some Wagyu Kobe blend that I had for years, and all of a sudden that was having to go up, and it was impossible to avoid,” Peña said. “I mean, everything overnight went up drastically to where you’re almost at the mercy of the customers to buy the things.”

Simple things like pulp fiber containers, necessary for every order, went up too.

The truck was open for over nine years, and Peña was grateful for the tourism that the Redmond area attracted. But the area where the food trucks are located can depend on how well the trucks do. Peña said their final spot was at General Duffy’s Waterhole, but the rising prices kept them from making money. He decided this year to close the Redmond truck and reopen in Arizona, where there would be less competition. Still, he thinks that high costs will continue to plague the restaurant industry.

“There are 40 or 50 food trucks that all do really well (in Central Oregon)” Peña said. “I didn’t want to be the 51st in the truck lot. It got a little difficult for a little while, but it’s kinda gotten a little better. But it hasn’t gotten all the way back, I don’t think it will.”