Shocking, 'impossible' gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures
The key to Vietnamese restaurant Pho 87’s signature soup — 16 to 20 hours of simmering on the stove — proved catastrophic this month. When owner Tre Dinh opened his gas bill for January, it was more than $8,000.
In December the Chinatown restaurant’s gas bill was roughly $800 for November usage, according to Dinh. The bill he received in January leapt to around $2,000, but even knowing another price increase was coming didn’t prepare the restaurant owner for the bill he received in February. He’s one of countless restaurateurs who received a sky-high January gas bill, credited largely to the wholesale cost of natural gas hitting record highs.
The ripple effect is being felt through the homes and businesses of Southern California Gas Co.'s 21.8 million customers, with Pacific Gas & Electric also estimating high gas bills for Central and Northern California this winter. Businesses that require gas cooking methods — such as tabletop Korean barbecues, wok stations, and gas-powered stoves and ovens — are now costing restaurateurs thousands of dollars more than their typical expenses, causing some owners to consider closing temporarily or raising prices to offset the charges. Adding to existing concerns over inflation, supply-chain difficulties and labor costs, some feel helpless.