CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From sizzling burgers to hot fries, spots like Brooks’ Sandwich House are staples in Charlotte.

And owner David Brooks is trying his best to keep his doors open and food affordable.

The sandwich house has been a labor of love and a true family-run business since his father opened it in 1973.

Now, after the passing of his father, and more recently, his twin brother Scott, it’s up to David Brooks and his staff to keep the legendary burger joint going.

But the pandemic has brought challenges.

“Price increases,” Brooks said. “I would say probably about a year ago.”

Rising costs of things like ground beef, to cooking gloves, even frying oil, is hitting this small businesses hard.

“Our frying oil, it’s up 125% for this time last year,” Brooks said. “The gloves we wear, they’re up 150% from this time last year and so you have to figure all of those costs along with your beef prices and your meat prices.”“Our frying oil, it’s up 125% for this time last year,” Brooks said. “The gloves we wear, they’re up 150% from this time last year and so you have to figure all of those costs along with your beef prices and your meat prices.”

Which is why Brooks says, they’ve been forced to raise their prices 10% across the board.

“It just keeps us in the ball game,” Brooks said. “That’s all it does.”

Still, Brooks says he’s one of the lucky ones with a loyal established customer base.

“We’ve been here almost 50 years, and this is the worst time I think I’ve ever seen as far as inflation crept up on us as quickly as it did,” Brooks said.

For restaurants starting out, Brooks says he knows the prices are hurting them.

“As far as it is now, now I don’t know what an answer is,” Brooks said. “And I’m not sure if it’s going to ease up any time soon, I don’t look for it to ease up anytime soon.”

For longtime customers like Desmond Smothers, the rise in prices may hit the wallet, but he says it’s not surprising. 

“Even big businesses are increasing their prices on everything,” Smothers said. “Like chicken wings, and chicken is sky high now. So I totally get why they have to do it, of course.”

Giving owners like Brooks a bit of comfort through the challenging times.

“We’re just going to have to see what we have to do until it comes back to normal, if there is a normal,” he said.