BUTTE — A Butte restaurant owner is warning her customers about rising menu prices after the cost of a single case of tomatoes jumped from $23 to $70.
Carrie Fisher owns two restaurants in uptown Butte and goes through roughly 12 cases of tomatoes a day at both locations, which are open 6 days a week. She said a combination of inflation and tariffs on Mexican produce is driving up her costs.
"We received notice that our tomatoes were going from $23 to $24 a case, up to $70 a case. Just for one case of tomatoes. So, it's a big deal," Fisher said.
Last July, the Trump administration imposed a 17% tariff on Mexican tomatoes. In February, the USDA reported that food prices in January 2026 were 2.9% higher than the previous year.
Fisher said the increases go beyond produce.
"I like to give, like, dollar examples versus percentage examples, you know, my proteins have increased by an additional $10, so it's like a dollar a pound more," Fisher said.
WATCH: A Butte restaurant owner explains rising menu prices
For years, Fisher prided herself on keeping prices low. She said she had long held the line at under $10 for a pita wrap, making her the lowest-priced location in her national Pita Pit network — until recently.
"I have tried to hold under $10 for a pita wrap, and I'm the lowest-priced Pita Pit in our national network," Fisher said.
"And that was something that I avoided because I felt like that was a number that kinda hit people," Fisher said.
While some customers have noticed the higher prices, high school student Audrey Moore said her frustration is directed at decision-makers rather than small business owners.
"When you're in the middle of like adulthood and still being a kid, you are like, oh no! Adults get to make decisions for me, and I get to just sit in my class and be like oh, I can't wait to, you know, pay for gas," Moore said.
Fisher said she feels a responsibility to be transparent with her community.
"Consumers are seeing it everywhere, and as a small business owner, I just try to do right by our community, and I try to let people know what's happening. You're probably going to see price increases. You know, be nice. We're doing the best we can," Fisher said.
Fisher added that customers who pay with cash will receive a discount, as it allows her to avoid service fees on card purchases.
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