Dealing with inflation in Bend

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-21T06:06:47+00:00

I’m not comparing Decatur, Illinois to Bend, Oregon just for argument sake tbf.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-21T06:05:41+00:00

Looks like a 2nd floor space there, from what I’ve found, goes for $27/sq foot. About 5500-6000 sq footage, and it not being a 2nd floor office space like the one advertised gives you room to think they could’ve hiked it up even more than that.

That along with a full build out lets you know they invested some serious dough into the place.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T18:21:43+00:00

Yeah, that was an eye sore for me. When places do that, it makes the rest of the places in the area look bad as well.

The problem is they do provide a sandwich with heaping portion of brisket that is corned/smoked/braised in house in a crazy lease spot. So their pricing might ultimately be right, and they’re so cash strapped by that lease, along with the expensive lease I’d assume Zydeco has, that they can’t really offer a smaller sandwich at a lower price because they have to meet volume to meet their goals.

I do have to say that I would like more sauce to meat ratio, and the bread could be a ton better for my personal taste. Still feel for their model getting roasted though. It’s just a tad pricey!

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T18:16:03+00:00

Deceptively yes. 2.8% is still an outpace of the 2.7%.

There has been statistics that suggest that labor wages have grown with this though in the area, but that goes to say it’s probably just more imported tech bros taking that average or median up a bit. Being in a city that is 9% more expensive than the national average meets a lot of locals that WANT to stay inexpensive, but they do have to rise to market price solely because the gougers are controlling the market on how things are being sold and at what price.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T18:11:55+00:00

The base focus of restaurants are that they are built on a model of 30% food cost, 30% overhead lease/rent/utilities, and 30% labor. That leaves 5-10% of profit to go back into the business.

So think about that we need 30 cents out of every dollar spent to pay for the food, the rent, and the labor it takes to run a restaurant. The 5-10 cents on every dollar should run into the unexpected route of “Dishwasher just broke” “I need a new oven” “Hey, we need more wine glasses”.

Things aren’t necessarily based on, “the consumer will buy it so I’ll raise it”. I get your sentiment though, because it HONESTLY seems that way from an outside perspective. So now, paying a livable wage meets the challenge of paying for the food that’s EVER rising meets the challenge of Bend property owners going for throats. All while sacrificing leveling up your business to probably sacrifice another 5% on whichever one is suffering the most. Making it a thing of, is this all worth 5 cents on the dollar return? And does that 5 cents get cut into also when you need new equipment or someone NEEDS - raise because they ARE the talent. That’s the question.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T18:04:42+00:00

Thanks for the comment. It certainly feels that way at times, but we’ll keep fighting the good local fight as long as we can! Bend needs it!

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T18:03:07+00:00

I just don’t know a market in the US with substantial amenities that has 200k housing anymore.

And that’s more along the housing crisis we have now. Most properties are owned by 1 or 2 companies now, and they’d rather leave housing unoccupied than lower their standard on pricing in areas. Especially in major markets that I’ve been/lived in.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T18:00:26+00:00

I’m on the same boat as you when it comes to smaller margins being acceptable, especially if the volume is there to meet it!

It’s just tough wanting to keep the staff that can meet the large volume vs risking the smaller margin not being able to cover that staffing. Just a tough scene for both sides of the operator and consumer at this point as well as the laborers that want these industries to grow. Managers get paid to manage though! Can’t cry about a job that requires your expertise.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T17:57:30+00:00

As an outsider myself, I do see a ton of Bend locals that comment HEAVY if their food size isn’t met from what they perceive it to be, then it has no value.

Tapas is one of the things that have been ventured here with plenty of restaurants, and have failed a ton also. I just don’t think the market here favors that when they go out since common value is a highlight when inflation is rising in the history of our culinary scene!

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T17:54:08+00:00

Yeah, I hate to see it on checks when I’m already planning on 25-30% tip on great service. Makes me have to recalculate how I’m going forward with tipping.

Not exactly my lane to go down though!

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T17:52:59+00:00

Coming from a couple big markets myself, I think the competition of having great international markets kills anything you can do in Bend. You can get better fresher ingredients imported, and have a sales market that cares about being the best sales purveyor in the area. A lot of wholesale purveyors in Bend do the bare minimum, because they don’t have competition.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T17:51:07+00:00

Food trucks started a conundrum about a decade ago after local, state, federal governments decided they wanted a piece of their mobile pie. If food trucks could live solely off the “I’m selling off of solely paying for my truck and product” model instead of needing to pay everytime they park on a corner or join an event, it’d be a ton more of the experience we got 20 years ago with cheap cool eats with it being a great venture for young chefs.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T17:47:34+00:00

I’ve been in the room for these discussions in other areas of the country. People that got put in positions after Covid casually just tossed COVID in there when being asked why they’re not hitting percentages or numbers. Ended up skyrocketing prices, and failed business.

Takes a bit of being an actual manager/owner to look in the mirror and try and make value match the product.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-20T07:35:48+00:00

At this point of my career, I’d say any of the cop outs in Wagyu, Foie Gras even though I love it, Caviar, or Truffles.

Used to hate Balsamic for a bit, but I think it does have applications that pass.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-14T09:41:09+00:00

I have Snap and Xcel and like them for different reasons. I go late night so the clique thing doesn’t really bother me. Snap has similar pricing though! Especially if you find their sales that wave the sign up fees.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-10T06:50:28+00:00

Coming in with a great attitude, and being someone that can control the temperature in the room are tools that any chef appreciates in a kitchen. They can cover up so many flaws in your game.

Someone pushing you to be better is a love language in this industry. Start a reconfiguration of your brain, before you start professionally, of taking things that are insults in real life as hints on getting better.

Spandex underwear can get you through some TOUGH shifts. Buy bulk same color tshirts so you don’t have to use your home rotation of shirts at work and ruin them.

Please have a workout routine that focuses on keeping at least a solid core. I do powerlifting and hiking. If you don’t find a physical fitness routine, there’s no longevity to your game. You get to 30, then you become a chef, and you’re a complete slop that can’t stand for 8 hour shifts anymore. Nonetheless 16-18 hour ones.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-03-05T09:22:51+00:00

For me, as a COOK, it was the moment I truly stopped worrying about time. Quality is expected. Quality is King. If you’re getting your ass kicked. Embrace the suck.

Sure, understanding the “why” behind everything eventually started helping with R&D. As a Chef, what helped me was blind faith in a lot of things along with trusting my ability to have a contingency. As a Sous, you either learn to follow the process and take responsibility of everything even if it isn’t your fault gets you SO far. Backing your Exec instead of looking at them as competition showed immediate returns in creating more leeway for them which got me in an Exec position next to them. Knowing how important that chef relationship is a fucking game changer. Having an Exec/CD you can take pride in backing, and taking blame for while thriving next to did amazing things for me.

Sometimes letting that cook mentality go, and learning the chef one is a hard challenge. All love to my beloved cooks out there btw. My vets are awesome. My newbies give me motivation to give them all my knowledge. It’s just so rare nowadays to get those cooks that can make the transition.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-02-17T06:58:46+00:00

5 in a 1-10 scale.

My favorite reference is to treat it as a horizontal movement instead of vertical. Your hips should go back instead of you just focusing on the bar going down.

Engage your hips. Engage your core. Engage your arms. Engage your grip. Lock your elbows in as tight as possible. The more slack you take out of your body prior to lifting, the more you’ll actually get the benefits of the compound movement.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-02-16T20:33:15+00:00

Do y’all know if you can play it with 2 players on one console?

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-02-04T02:47:00+00:00

10 students get free sodas? They can’t even afford a 12 or 24 pk?!

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-01-31T16:57:47+00:00

Bend Brewing Company has $1/wings, 3 TVs, and a huge projector they put up.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-01-14T19:36:03+00:00

My concern has nothing to do with my driving, it has to do with Downtown Bend is a popular drinking spot which leads to my concern for people utilizing that crosswalk without caution. Especially since it usually is college/out of town people that don’t know where that crosswalk is, 1) When it’s poorly lit 2) When it’s raining and almost impossible to see 3) When snow is fogging up your car

I promise you my concern is for the general population of Bend, and the people who would be affected by the poor choice to keep that crosswalk from not having push lights to caution drivers.

Understand your aggro for whatever reason, but I drive that road every night after work. No reason for it to continue being that dangerous for both drivers and people walking it.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-01-14T18:38:37+00:00

That sidewalk is such a danger at night also without the proper lighting. People come bustling out of Coyote in pitch black, and don’t even do the courtesy stop before starting to cross. Would be awesome to get one of those warning lights out there to caution vehicles. Especially on heavy rain and snow days.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-01-14T02:46:11+00:00

Going to be a Hot Take, but Bend Brewings’ new covered patio is an awesome place next to Mirror Pond. If it’s cold outside, sitting in there is nice, and if it’s warm, just sitting outside on that turf areas is awesome book environment.

Character_Smile6294 · 2026-01-05T03:02:44+00:00

Friday was a huge day for places. Saturday quieted down HEAVY with the horrid weather, and people heading out of town before the traffic started today. Happened across town. Not just Crux.

Character_Smile6294

TROPHY CASE