Tappahannock Cafe Owner Says Menu Costs Jumped 30% Since 2022

Jeans Owens says the cost of running her Java Jacks cafe in Tappahannock, Va., has surged in recent years. She reports that coffee prices are up more than 30% since 2022. Her monthly electricity bill, which typically ran between $450 and $500, recently exceeded $1,000. Owens notes that the price for to-go boxes has nearly tripled from 12 cents to almost 30 cents, while the combined cost of a cup, lid, and straw has risen from 3 cents to over 20 cents.

Owens and her husband acquired the business eight years ago. The cafe opened in 2006 in a former one-story home on the main road through the town. The couple sought to become their own bosses and secure a better financial position for retirement. However, their early tenure coincided with the pandemic and a period of high inflation. Owens states that she now visits Walmart early in the morning to buy milk and juice instead of using a supplier. She also sources fresh fruit from a local grocery store and rotates among three suppliers to find the lowest prices.

Customer behavior has shifted in response to higher costs. Owens observes that more senior citizens are splitting orders than in the past. She notes that while the staff usually receives generous tips due to the small venue size, tipping decreased when gas prices spiked. The trend reversed as gas prices fell. Owens keeps some menu items at $10 to maintain affordability for her loyal base, but she acknowledges that increasing menu prices is now necessary.

Staffing remains a primary stressor for Owens, who also operates a coffee shop across the river in Warsaw. She has been short-staffed at both locations for months. Rents in the rural area, where the median income is approximately $50,000 annually, have risen. Owens has helped employees find housing and occasionally housed them in a motel. Transportation is another hurdle, with some workers lacking cars or finding gas prices too burdensome. About five employees currently carpool to work, forcing Owens to take kitchen shifts and postpone administrative duties.

Tappahannock is located in the eastern part of Virginia's 1st Congressional District. The district is currently in a tight race between Republican incumbent Rob Wittman and Democrat Shannon Taylor, the commonwealth's attorney for Henrico County. Owens, who is running for the non-partisan town council, says she wants the winner to understand the challenges facing small businesses. She states bluntly that she is struggling. She is not running in the congressional race but is focused on local issues like housing and transportation.

Jameka Campbell, who works across the river in Richmond County, believes politicians are disconnected from current economic realities. Campbell works two jobs at Menokin, a historical site in Henrico County. She serves as an office manager there and as the community and outreach director for the nonprofit Just Harvest Va. The nonprofit helps BIPOC communities with food sovereignty education. Campbell says she uses coupons and rewards programs to manage her household budget. On a recent trip to a Walgreens in Callao, she purchased household supplies for $60.04 and saved $27.71 through rewards and deals. She says that amount covers a meal or a quarter tank of gas.

Campbell is researching candidates for the midterm election. She plans to look at their past records and personal property holdings to determine if they represent rural voters. She says she will make her voting decision closer to election day. For now, she describes her financial status as in between, noting that she is neither rich nor poor but could swing in either direction. She draws motivation from the history of the enslaved people who farmed Menokin, stating that if they endured their hardships, she can manage current economic pressures.