Issues such as soaring wholesale food costs have struck restaurants hard, forcing menu price adjustments. And it is not just a Bermuda problem.

On both sides of the Atlantic the complaints are loud, with price increases as a result of several factors, including inflation and pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. The war in Ukraine, droughts, wildfires and labour costs all are contributing components.

But on the island, where the price point is even higher, the owners of one of the largest restaurant groups say business may never recover from the profound hit of the past three years.

But a veteran restaurateur was hopeful of some relief from massive increases in food costs.

Emilio Barbieri, of MEF Ltd, said: “We want to protect our guests as much as possible but sometimes the supplier prices have doubled or even tripled.”

He told us: “We have been working diligently with our suppliers to try and lower the costs where feasible and to not pass this on to the customer, but sometimes it is unavoidable.”

MEF has 13 restaurants and cafés, including Fourways Restaurant & Inn, La Trattoria and Little Venice.

Consumer price index figures for December 2022, showed food price inflation was above ten per cent for the fifth straight month.

MEF thought Bermuda could expect to see an increase of five to ten per cent on menu prices in local restaurants.

“We have had to become very careful about what we order and even remove some items if the pricing is too exorbitant,” Mr Barbieri said.

Philip Barnett, president of the Island Restaurant group, said the impact of rising food costs on his seven restaurants had been “severe” in the past three years.

“Prices have spiralled ten and 20 per cent, and even higher, over 2019 prices,” said Mr Barnett, whose group includes Bolero, Frog & Onion, and Barracuda Grill.

“I think prices will still have to increase three to 5 per cent over the next short period just to offset the rapid increases of the last three years,” he said.

The increases are challenging to get on top of because they do not plateau, but continue to climb.

“It has caused an inflationary spiral and forced our largest year-to-year price increases as compared to the previous 20 years. We have tried to keep increases as minimal as possible and due to our industry restaurant mark-up model, we have not had to make the same significant jumps as say a grocery store but, nevertheless, we have had to increase prices.”

Mr Barnett noted: “Globally, the trade journals show the identical issues at every restaurant around the world.

“From Canada to Cameroon, the increases as a per cent of 2019 prices are generally the same and unavoidable as restaurants struggle to stay profitable and in business.”

But he believes there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“Globally, we should see some cooling off of prices as supply ramps up to meet demand and contributing costs such as shipping and labour ratchet down or flatten out,” he said.

However, some eatery owners are holding out on raising their menu prices.

After the pandemic started, Horace Tucker of Bermy Cuisine added a takeout window on the north side of the restaurant on Serpentine Road.

The window has become a cost-saving measure for Mr Tucker, who has not reinstated sit-down dining inside Bermy Cuisine, although the outside patio is open. He has also reduced working hours and the size of his staff from six to four.

“We have not raised our prices in over three years even though my costs have gone up significantly,” Mr Tucker said. “That is my contribution to society.”

Mr Tucker said that the strategy was working out for him and he had actually seen an increase in customers.

“I used to have six staff members and now I have four,” he said. “I just had someone resign and I am not replacing them. My staff used to work from 6am until 3pm, six days a week and now they work from 7am to 3pm, five days a week.”

He said the times were challenging for everyone but more people need to stop being “so inward thinking”.

“If fewer people were like that we would not be in the state we are in now,” he said.

Another Hamilton restaurant owner, who did not wish to be named, said his business costs had been massively impacted by rising food prices.

There were other things also impacting him such as the statutory minimum wage, set at $16.40 per hour as of next month.

“Nevertheless, we are trying to adjust as much as possible because we have no choice,” he said.

On Tuesday, Mr Chicken, which has five different outlets, announced it was raising its prices, effectively immediately.

A message posted on their Facebook page stated that “a lot had changed since 2020”.

“We are pleased to have kept the majority of our menu prices the same in the last three years,” the notice read. “However, the time has come to revise them due to the rising costs of business operation.”

Mr Chicken owner David Furbert declined to comment on the matter.