The Inquirer wants to know your questions about food prices

Washington Square’s Middle Child made an Instagram announcement on Monday that its audience ate up: The deli needs to increase prices.

It’s not exactly welcome news, but who could be surprised? Anyone who’s bought milk, eggs, or even so much as a Gatorade this year knows food prices at the grocery store are unrelentingly up. Restaurants are not immune.

But Middle Child turned an unsavory reality into a praiseworthy post by showing its work. Inspired by a recent New York Times story that unpacked price increases in one restaurant, the deli laid out 2019 vs. 2022 costs and the delta between them. Examples included a 178% increase in the price of eggs, a 139% increase in frying oil, and a 181% increase in Latex gloves, among several others. They tried alternatives, adjusting portions and sourcing, but ultimately they’d have to bump up prices to survive.

The post scored even more likes than Middle Child’s mid-July announcement than its wildly popular BLTs were back. Fellow restaurants and influencers commented with hearts and clapping emojis, commending the deli’s transparency.

This is one of the more cheerful entries in what are mostly grim accounts of rising food costs, but it opens the door to lots of questions: Why are Latex gloves still so expensive? Will costs ever go back down to 2019 levels? Are any food items affordable anymore?

The Inquirer wants to know what questions readers have about food costs, whether at the home, restaurant, or supply-chain level. We’ll track down experts with the answers.