LAFAYETTE, La. — Gas prices remain high, and for food truck owners, every mile matters.
Bobby Marshall, owner and operator of Di Jerk Shop, says the rising costs are affecting his bottom line.
"It's really a tough business, you know. We spend all that money, and if we can't make that money back, that's a big hit to our pockets," Marshall said.
Marshall says he wants to keep his food accessible, but he has to balance the extra expense. He has to transport, power, and stock his truck. All of those tasks take fuel.
"To be honest, the rise in gas prices is really giving us a run for our money because every day you go to the pump, the price keeps ticking— and with the food selling at the price it's selling right now, we can't really raise our price to damage our customers' pockets," Marshall said.
According to AAA, there has been a small dip in prices at the pump recently.
"To be honest, the first [thing that] goes through my head, really life gotta go on, you know? You just gotta stick it out until the price gets better," Marshall said.
Marshall says it's not just a hobby — this is his livelihood. Each day, there's a buy-in to run his business, and food truck owners have to consider whether it's worth it to keep the lights on day to day.
"Every dollar the pump counts for us because we want to make sure that it's beneficial for us to be operating each day. If it's not beneficial, we might as well just shut it down," Marshall said.
