What the fork?

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OPINION – California lawmakers often have good intentions when passing laws and regulations, but after decades of piling on new rules, the consequences are hitting everyone in the wallet.

It’s time we bring our guests, the voters, into this conversation and explain why their favorite restaurants are charging more, scaling back, or shutting down entirely.

As the new Chair of the California Restaurant Association (CRA), I’m proud to help launch our statewide campaign: “What the Fork?!” It’s bold. It’s attention-grabbing. And it’s the conversation we need to have, because Sacramento hasn’t been listening.

Our goal is straightforward: to help Californians understand why dining out costs more here than almost anywhere else in the country. We’re not talking about just one policy or one politician. We’re talking about the cumulative effect of thousands of overlapping state and local regulations, many well-intended, that make it harder, riskier, and more expensive to run a neighborhood restaurant.

These rules have created new pathways for costly lawsuits, driven up insurance rates, and put small businesses in a position where basic operations become financially unsustainable. It’s no longer just about high rent or food costs; it’s about a regulatory environment that’s become suffocating.

Restaurants don’t want to raise prices. But like our guests, we’re facing skyrocketing costs for insurance, utilities, wages, and everything in between. And when margins in this business are often only 3 to 5 cents on the dollar, there’s simply nowhere left to cut.

After the pandemic, I thought we’d seen the worst. But this moment feels just as dire. Guests are eating out less. Operators are barely breaking even. And sadly, many iconic and even Michelin-starred restaurants have shut their doors for good.

The CRA recently surveyed restaurants across the state. Forty percent said they were not profitable in 2024, and many expect 2025 to be worse. Think about that: nearly half of our industry is operating in the red.

Meanwhile, many city councils continue to raise minimum wages without considering the ripple effect on job stability or menu prices. We support fair pay. But sudden, one-size-fits-all mandates, especially when paired with elevated inflation, leave small operators with few options other than raising prices, reducing hours, or cutting jobs.

It makes you wonder: are local governments counting on higher prices at restaurants to boost their own tax revenues?

Neighborhood restaurants generate more sales tax than any other industry in California. That money funds schools, roads, and public safety. We are economic drivers, not political scapegoats.

Yes, there are challenges lawmakers can’t control, inflation, tourism drops, global supply chains. But there’s a lot they can do to help. They can listen. They can reduce friction. They can support small businesses instead of layering on more complexity.

We talk to voters every day, at the host stand, in the dining room, at the bar. We know they’re frustrated with rising prices and shrinking options. We’re inviting them to speak up.

If you’ve ever celebrated a birthday at your favorite local restaurant, toasted an anniversary with a craft beer, or just grabbed tacos after a long day, you’re part of this story, too.

We’re asking all Californians to visit www.calrest.org/wtf  and sign our petition urging lawmakers to stop making dining out even more expensive.

We can’t keep absorbing the cost of inaction. It’s time for real change, for our teams, our guests, and the future of restaurants in California.

Fred Glick is the Brewpub Chieftain at Karl Strauss Brewing Company and Board Chair of the California Restaurant Association.