LEXINGTON, Ky. — Restaurants have been experiencing multiple challenges over the past two years, from limited seating, worker shortages and now supply issues.

What You Need To Know

  • Restaurants are experiencing multiple challenges

  • Two Lexington restaurants have seen shortages in food and supply items

  • Some local restaurants in Lexington have had to adjust their menus and prices

  • Restaurant owners say the industry has been hit hard over the last two years

When you step foot into EL CID in Lexington you’ll hear music, the smell of Mexican food and margaritas. But managing partner Javier Mendoza said it has been difficult to find supplies to continue those services.

“Right now, we are having less trouble finding people, but we are having more troubles with the supplies. So it makes it a little bit hard for us having to go every day to different stores to find you some specific product,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said over the past few weeks, items like to-go supplies have been difficult to find in both suppliers and local stores. Even ordering some food items like tortillas has created challenges. 

“My main problem right now would be the plastic cups, they are clear cups. We will have to find alternatives like going to different stores and finding different kinds of cups. Sometimes they come and we find that the lids we have to go don't fit the cup. So it's just like it has been a hard experience but I know we'll get through it,” Mendoza said.

Along with EL CID, Gwyn Everly with J. Render's Southern Table and Bar has also experienced a supply shortage. It's an issue that has caused some prices on their menu to increase.

“We definitely experience supply chain issues. For instance with our ribs. My husband, Jay Rinder, would run around town trying to find ribs that were affordable where we did not have to raise our prices on the menu. And we always had a Tuesday night special well, we can't find them anymore. You know, we're having to pay the market value. So we have had to do a price increase, which we hate it,” Everly said.

Everly said over the last two years, the restaurant industry has felt like a big game of Jumanji, never knowing the next challenge they may face.

“What am I going to have to deal with today? What hoops am I going to have to jump through? What is going to happen? And I mean it is stressful and it has a toll. You know we've been lucky that we have been supported so much by our regulars and the people who come to the restaurant,” Everly said.

Everly said most of her regular customers have been understanding about the different price increases. And along with EL CID, the two companies are working to keep up with the challenging demand in a situation that is out of their control.

“We make the order with our distributor and then sometimes we have like different distributors and like nothing has the product that we need for that specific item in the menu. And then sometimes we go to the store and none of the stores has the item and it makes it really hard,” Mendoza said.

Everly and Mendoza said they will adjust their menus and prices as the situation continues, but hope to get back to normal again soon.

Related Stories