EUGENE, Ore. – Uber Eats has added a 45 cent surcharge to orders to help drivers cope with rising gas prices.
But if you want to help local eateries emerging from the pandemic, Stephen Sheehan at Elk Horn Brewery says to skip delivery and opt for dine-in or carry out.
“It doesn’t support local businesses to go through Uber Eats. I’m telling you it does not,” he said Monday. “If you talk to any restaurant owner in town, they’ll tell you ordering through Uber Eats, DoorDash, all of those are not good for the restaurant.”
Fuel prices aren’t just driving up delivery fees for finished products: Restaurant supply costs are going up in response to the cost of fuel, too.
That in turn pushes up the price on the menu.
Sheehan is going to the Bar and Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas next week and plans to discuss with other owners how to best approach the recent increase in gas costs without raising prices too high for customers.
But prices are going up.
“These gas prices are killing us, like our delivery people charge us more, our vendors charge us more because they’re seeing the gas prices more,” Sheehan said.
At Elk Horn, the $13 sandwich special will remain the same price – but the price of other menu items may increase.
“If we can make ends meet better in the kitchen and out front, then we’ll do that instead of passing it along,” Sheehan said, “but we’re going to have to raise them some once we change to our spring menu in two weeks.”