‘Unaffordable to serve food in Seattle’: Restaurant owner sounds alarm

SEATTLE - A popular Seattle restaurant known for keeping its menu affordable says the math behind those prices is becoming increasingly difficult to make work.

Spice Waala co-owner, Uttam Mukherjee said the restaurant has resisted raising prices even as the cost of ingredients and doing business in Seattle has climbed.

"It's becoming unaffordable to serve food in Seattle," said Mukherjee.

Since Spice Waala started serving customers in 2018, Mukherjee said the restaurant has worked to keep its menu below $10. Now, the restaurant is analyzing how much it may need to raise prices.

"It is becoming increasingly more difficult given the rising costs of everything," said Mukherjee.

Rising costs catch customers' attention

What they're saying:

Mukherjee said Spice Waala typically gives customers an update on its costs about every six months. But a recent social media video laying out those rising expenses generated thousands of shares.

In the post, he shared in the first half of 2026 alone, the cost of chicken rose 13%, lamb 6%, potatoes 54%, onions 89%, as well as soft serve by 20%.

"I think this took us by surprise how much interest there was," said Mukherjee.

He said the restaurant has seen drastic increases in the cost of goods since the pandemic. Some of the increases that have surprised customers most involve everyday staples, including onions and potatoes.

The restaurant is now trying to determine how much it may need to increase prices after holding them below $10.

"We just don’t know what the bottom line impact is going to be for us," said Mukherjee.

Customers feeling the squeeze too

The other side:

Mukherjee said the pressure is not limited to restaurants.

He said customers who once ate out two or three times a week may now go out closer to once a month. He pointed to tech layoffs and inflation as pressures affecting customers' spending.

"I would say 50% of the comments we got on the video were people saying my wages haven’t increased. I’ve been laid off, my partners been laid off. What do I do? I have to conserve, I can’t go out to eat," Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee said part of the reason for posting the video was to help customers understand what restaurants are facing and make the increasing costs more palatable for people who want to continue supporting local businesses.

What Mukherjee wants to see change

What's next:

Mukherjee said Spice Waala has repeatedly spoken with Seattle officials about changes that could help business owners.

Among his concerns are public safety and the amount of time some city permitting processes can take.

"There are restaurants that have been broken into 10-20 times this year," said Mukherjee.

Mukherjee told FOX 13 insurance does not cover some costs associated with break-ins, including broken windows or doors. He also questioned why some permits can take six months to a year.

The mayor pledged this week to do more on public safety, but Mukherjee said he remains skeptical.

"I think it’s a little tough to feel encouraged and the reason why is we’ve been in this for us personally, eight years now and we haven’t seen any local or state laws that have really helped us," he said.

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