I pay attention to how food inflation affects restaurant owners and small operators. On April 27, 2026, I said restaurant owners were getting hit hard and hoped the best for small operators grinding it out. I described March’s food inflation as the biggest spike in at least a year.
The post quoted @KobeissiLetter, whose figures and analysis were theirs, not independently verified claims of mine. They reported food and beverage company inflation of +7.9% year over year in March, up +373 basis points from +4.2% in February, and described March as the biggest jump in at least 12 months. Their reported largest increases were tomatoes (+102% year over year), vegetables (+90%), and diesel (+88%). They attributed the increase largely to higher fuel costs and said the full impact of rising fertilizer and plastics prices had not yet been reflected. The captured quotation ends mid-word after “world's most wi,” so its remainder and further context are unavailable.
Related: consumer spending and debt, better for you food and beverage brands, black friday spending and inflation