KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – Beef prices have climbed sharply in recent months, and two Kansas City-area barbecue restaurants say they are absorbing the cost rather than raising menu prices, at least for now.
Marisha Brown-Smith, vice president and event coordinator at Rosedale Bar-B-Q in Kansas City, Kansas, said beef costs have risen significantly.
“It’s gone up probably, I would say, 60%, 70% over the last few months,” Brown-Smith said. “It’s just continuing to climb. And we really haven’t seen a break for several months.”
“I wish we could pinpoint one that was actually, that was the factor,” Brown-Smith said. “But there’s so many things that factor into it. And so we don’t really see a break coming in the near future.”
Brown-Smith said Rosedale is a family business with 93 years of history in Kansas City. She said her grandfather started the business in 1934 during a period of meat rationing.
“They even had a little jingle that they would say behind the bar: lamb, sheep or mutton. If you don’t want that, you don’t get nothing,” Brown-Smith said. “And lamb’s a luxury now. So maybe we’re going to be switching and seeing beef as a luxury item.”
Brown-Smith said beef sandwiches remain among Rosedale’s top sellers, along with fries. She said combination dinners typically include ribs along with beef or pork.
Beef prices have climbed sharply in recent months, and two Kansas City-area barbecue restaurants say they are absorbing the cost rather than raising menu prices, at least for now.(KCTV5)
“They’re ordering a little bit different on the menu,” Brown-Smith said of customers. “But they kind of watch that price. They watch that menu. And we only raise prices when and if we need to.”
Both Rosedale and Arthur Bryant’s, located across the state line, say they are covering the increased costs themselves rather than passing them to customers.
“We’re kind of offsetting it in a couple other places,” Brown-Smith said. “But really the prices have stayed on the menu as they have.”
Mike Peterson, assistant general manager at Arthur Bryant’s, said some beef cuts have increased by a dollar a pound over the past year.
“It’s kind of ridiculous,” Peterson said. “But what can you do? It’s Kansas City barbecue. You gotta have beef.”
In Texas, some barbecue restaurants have already removed brisket and ribs from their menus entirely. Both Kansas City-area owners said that is not an option for them.
“We will serve sliced beef off of our slicers,” Peterson said. He said Arthur Bryant’s will continue serving burnt ends, which the restaurant says it had a hand in inventing nearly 100 years ago.
“So that will be on our menu forever,” Peterson said.
Brown-Smith said Rosedale intends to keep offering beef as long as customers are willing to pay for it.
“We don’t want the money going up in smoke, but we’d rather be smoking the beef than the money and some of the product loss,” Brown-Smith said.
Peterson said Arthur Bryant’s is looking at other menu items to help offset costs.
Beef prices have climbed sharply in recent months, and two Kansas City-area barbecue restaurants say they are absorbing the cost rather than raising menu prices, at least for now.(KCTV5)
“There are other things on our menu that are delicious,” Peterson said. “However, if you do want to order beef, it will be here for you. We will serve the best we can to you.”
He pointed to the restaurant’s sausage and turkey combo as an alternative option.
However, both owners said a menu price increase could eventually become necessary if beef costs continue rising.
“We do anticipate that there will potentially be a price hike,” Brown-Smith said. “How drastic of one, time will tell.”
Brown-Smith said fuel charges and other economic factors will also play a role in any future pricing decisions.
Peterson said raising beef prices at Arthur Bryant’s would be a last resort.
“It would have to continue to go up significantly before anything changed,” Peterson said. “But also, we’ll maintain as affordable products as we possibly can.”
Both restaurants said they will continue to monitor beef prices.
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Dining and Cooking