A beloved Chicago restaurant is on the verge of closing its doors for good as it struggles to keep up with inflation.
A stalwart of its style since 1933, Moon’s Sandwich Shop has weathered economic storms from the Great Depression to the pandemic.
The store, named after its founders who worked as moonshiners, is facing rising labor costs and the relentless pressure of inflation, according to owner Jim Radek.
Skyrocketing prices for eggs, butter and wages have Radek wondering whether he should shift the burden onto customers, who have already suffered the effects of price increases. Meanwhile, customers are expressing frustration over rising menu prices, growing concerns about immigration and the increasingly elusive dream of home ownership.
The annual inflation rate in the US fell to 2.9 percent, from a peak of 9.1 percent in June 2022.
Moon’s Sandwich Shop, a stalwart since 1933, has weathered economic storms from the Great Depression to the pandemic, but is now on the brink of closing its doors for good.
The store, named after its moonshine-brewing founders, now faces rising labor costs and the relentless pressure of inflation, according to owner Jim Radek.
Radek told the The Wall Street Journal He’s not sure what the answer is in terms of which presidential candidate can get the United States out of this economic mess.
Unlike his butter suppliers, who can arbitrarily raise prices daily, Radek cannot afford to alienate customers with frequent price increases.
“A year ago, a rib eye steak cost me $6.95 a pound. Now it’s $8.95 a pound,” Radek said, noting endless customer complaints about the price.
“You have to give them (customers) a song and a dance about it,” he said.
Moon’s regulars, including security guards, childcare workers and barbers, are eager to hear concrete proposals from all political parties to tackle poverty, confront the housing affordability crisis and ensure living wages for workers.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has proposed expanding the child tax credit, addressing the housing shortage by mandating the construction of 3 million homes and criminalizing price gouging by targeting companies that unfairly raise prices.
She and her allies are expected to lay out their party’s game plan for winning the election at the Democratic National Convention, which takes place this week in Chicago, just a stone’s throw from Moon’s.
Moon’s Diner is a cornerstone of the Windy City’s South and West Side neighborhoods; many of its regulars grew up in neighborhoods plagued by crime and poverty, including the former Rockwell Gardens public housing project that once stood behind the restaurant.
A beloved hangout, Moon’s remains a lifeline for those who have stayed in the area.
However, rising costs of living threaten to displace even long-time residents.
Former Rockwell Gardens tenant Tameeka White faces a rent increase of nearly $600 in just five years.
“And this is the neighborhood,” he told the WSJ, adding that his landlord attributed the increase to higher homeowners insurance.
He earns $18.85 an hour as a security guard and supports several family members. With an annual income of about $40,000, he falls into a difficult financial situation: he earns too much to qualify for food stamps but struggles to make ends meet.
The exorbitant costs of eggs, butter and wages have Radek wondering whether he should shift the burden onto customers who have already been hit by a necessary price increase.
Customers often express frustration over rising menu prices, growing concerns about immigration and the increasingly elusive dream of homeownership.
He said he will vote for Harris in hopes that she will fulfill her promises to help the working class with food and reduce drug costs.
Eboni Humphrey, a regular Moon customer since childhood, now runs a daycare center out of her home in nearby Lawndale. She buys corned beef for herself and a breakfast plate for her uncle and shares her dream of having a dedicated daycare space in a quieter neighborhood.
But since most of their income comes from state funding for low-income families, that goal seems unattainable. While waiting for their food, Humphrey and White swapped stories with friends.
Both expressed frustration with the economic challenges facing many Americans and questioned the allocation of government resources, particularly in light of the influx of migrants into Chicago. More than 46,000 migrants have arrived in the city since 2022, straining local services.
“There are people here who are homeless, who are living on the streets … these are people who need help right here in our country,” Humphrey said. While she said she is considering voting for Trump because of his honesty, she is concerned that his legal status will remain an obstacle to his reelection. She is now debating whether to back Harris.
Kortasha Jones, a 90-year-old deli employee who grew up in Rockwell, has been forced to ride the bus for long hours to work because she can’t afford to replace her wrecked car.
“Sometimes I can get an Uber or a Lyft, but it’s pretty expensive,” he said.
Due to rising food costs, she has been forced to eat less, extending her meals as long as possible.
Although the inflation rate in the United States is currently at 2.9 percent, down from 3.18 percent in the same period last year, Radek said he is not sure which presidential candidate can get the United States out of this economic mess.
Radek’s goal is to sell Moon’s next year and retire at age 75. Though he has little faith in either political party, he has a message for DNC convention attendees: “Tell the revolutionaries to come have a sandwich.”
Jones would like to see a woman as president, but he worries that Harris won’t keep her word. Above all, he said he wants a ray of hope.
Adrian Buford, a Moon’s customer who admits to not being politically involved, said he plans to cast his vote for Harris “so that people in poverty are treated the same as everyone else.”
As the last of his lunchtime customers filed out, Radek leaned on a stool at the counter and recounted the problems facing his small business.
Chicago’s minimum wage, which increases annually by 2.5% or the rate of inflation (whichever is less), just hit $16.20 an hour.
Radek’s goal is to sell Moon’s next year and retire at age 75. Though he has little faith in either political party, he still has a message for DNC convention attendees: “Tell the revolutionaries to come have a sandwich.”
