(Des Moines, IA) -- Inflation is changing Iowans' spending habits, including what people order at local restaurants.
"We're seeing a third of folks are now reporting that they're ordering less from restaurants. People are reducing their frequency," says Jessica Dunker, the President and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association.
Dunker says restaurants are seeing consumers order fewer, and less expensive, items from restaurants with inflation rising. She says restaurants are also trying to operate with less labor to stay away from raising their prices.
"The last thing we want to do is raise menu prices. We know that there is a threshold on what people will pay for a burger," says Dunker.
She says a restaurant is more likely to change portion sizes or have less items on their menus before ever raising prices.