The cost of restaurant labor rose 9% and food costs increased 10% on average in 2022, yet food-away-from-home prices increased by 7.7 percent in 2022, according to the USDA. The tight labor market is not going away in 2023, keeping labor costs high. At the same time, inflation has affected food costs for restaurants. This is limiting the ability of foodservice to invest in consumer-demanded sustainable practices. As we look to 2023, these issues do not appear to be going away soon.
