As gas prices rise and inflation soars, small businesses face difficult decisions

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio — Like many other businesses across the country, DeFelice Brothers Pizza is learning to adjust in the current challenging economy.

“In our business, we’re seeing, company-wide, a 3 to 4 percent increase in our costs overall in the product mix that we have. So, at the end of the month, we’re losing 3 to 4 percent,” President Dominic DeFelice said.

The business has been operating in the Ohio valley for more than 40 years.

“So, at $5 a gallon, we’re getting a surcharge on our food being delivered to us,” Dominic DeFelice said. “So, our distributor is now hit with higher prices, so they’re turning around and raising our price.”

The restaurant does notify customers when price changes do occur.

Franchise owners recently met to discuss the business’s next plan of action, including whether to add additional delivery charges or not.

"We had a franchise meeting last week and we addressed it,” Dominic DeFelice said. “We are going to try to not put a delivery fee. Some of our stores have a delivery fee on certain areas past their normal delivery area, but for the most part, most of our stores don’t have a delivery fee. Franchisees opted to wait to see if we could ride it out.”

It’s not just the gas prices and inflation that are affecting the restaurant, but a shortage of workers as well.

When it comes to evaluating possible changes within the business, the customers are always the main concern.

“These customers are like family,” Dominic DeFelice said. “They’re not in it to gouge or to make money. Yes, everyone’s in business to make money, but they want happy customers, and they know the formula. I was really surprised because I went into a franchise meeting expecting them to say, ‘raise prices and charge a delivery charge,’ and we came out and we didn’t do anything yet. We held off. So that means a lot.”