CINCINNATI — As Taste of Cincinnati wraps up, some vendors are sharing the impact the event has on their business.
Kris Best and her husband own Indigenous Chef. This is their second year at Taste, but their business really began when their love story did.
“I was a nutrition fanatic and he was a chef fanatic," Best said. “On the first date, he said, ‘You know, I know how to cook?’ and I said, ‘Good, because I know how to eat.’”
Then, they combined their heritages to create the menu for Indigenous Chef: Native American food from the Iroquois Confederacy and Native Mexican food.
Just like many other restaurants, they have had to adjust to rising food prices to stay in business.
The latest Consumer Price Index data shows food prices have increased 2.2% over the last year and overall, food prices stayed steady from March to April.
Raising prices is the only strategy the owners are using to combat rising prices.
“Just kind of look at where are we getting our food — are we getting it at the best place that we’re comfortable with as far as social impact and then also price?" Best said.
Other businesses, like Twisted Greek, have been able to absorb food price increases without raising menu prices.
“Right now we’re just kind of making sure we’re not throwing away extra food and making sure our portions are consistent for everybody," owner Stephen Spyrou said. “It’s nothing drastic that we’re stressed over yet, but you never know what the future will bring.”
As they tackle these decisions, they're also trying to grow their business. It's a goal events like Taste of Cincinnati help them to achieve.
“We’re able to meet new people, introduce them to what we do, how we’re unique from all the other food trucks and all the other Greek restaurants in town," Spyrou said.
At Indigenous Chef, Best loves sharing their dishes with new people and running into those new customers at other events.
“There are so many people that come after Taste of Cincinnati that say, ‘We saw you at Taste, we had your Three Sisters at Taste, we had your beignets at Taste, we had your lobster cakes at Taste, do you have that now?’” Best said.
