After the fast food chain Wendy’s announced that they wanted to try a new model that would implement price surging, people in the Northland have started to pay attention to how much they are paying when they go out to eat.

“And I understand that everything has gone up, and that their cost factors have gone up, but that said it’s fast food. Is it good for you? Does it fill the void? Yeah for ten seconds,” says Duluthian Susan Jordahl-Bubacz.

Chains have seemed to move past the days of the dollar menu or the $5 footlong, but local restaurants are also costing more according to Northlanders.

Local businesses have acknowledged this, but also say that they are trying their best to keep prices low. Boulder Tap House Owner Rick Lampton says, “We try to ride the line of not raising prices as much as possible and keeping our items down a little bit.

But how low those prices can go are limited to what they need to pay for their goods and how much they pay their staff.

Plus Northlanders say that it’s almost cheaper to make your meals at home. “We do tend to eat at home I mean, seriously. We can prepare just about anything that’s out there and save a few coins,” says Susan Jordahl-Bubacz.

Now when it comes to attracting customers to go out to eat, businesses are focusing on upping their service. Making sure the outing isn’t about the food but also the experience. Lampton says, “The service is always been at the forefront. We strive to make the experience more than just the food. You know people are going out to be pampered. Some people go out once a month and if they have a bad experience, you know they aren’t coming back.”