Burger demand still high as beef prices boom
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Some local restaurants are managing to hold the line on burger prices as beef costs surge nationwide, but that may not last much longer.
Why it matters: Columbus loves burgers. Shrinking supply and rising prices mean restaurants face increasing pressure to raise menu prices.
Grilling the news: U.S. beef production is forecast to fall again in 2026 to about 25.79 billion pounds, while cattle prices are expected to average roughly $241 per hundredweight, up about 8% from last year.
- Ground beef averaged $6.70 per pound in March, up about 16% year over year.
Zoom in: In the Short North — an area catering to price-sensitive college students — that pressure is playing out burger by burger.
- "Our No. 1 sale is basically our burgers," said Xhevair Brakaj, a co-owner of Arch City Tavern on North High Street.
- Beef prices there are up 7.4% from last year and roughly double since spring 2020, Brakaj said. The restaurant's beef-blend burgers, priced at $18 and paired with chips, make up about half of all food items sold.
- "People are going more for red meat right now," he added.
What they're saying: "Beef prices have increased for a variety of reasons," said Elizabeth Harsh, executive director of the Ohio Cattlemen's Association.
- "... the main reasons are a historically [70-year low] small cattle herd combined with historically [40-year high] high consumer beef demand."
Between the lines: Cost concerns aren't limited to beef. Since the pandemic, restaurant costs are up roughly 40% across the board — from eggs and coffee to proteins, said John Barker, CEO of the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance.
- "It's a very difficult situation for both our restaurateurs and, of course, consumers," Barker told Axios. "They're having to get creative because the demand for protein isn't going away even as costs keep climbing."
To stay competitive, Arch City has held prices steady for three years and tries to lean into value.
- It offers a $10 Monday burger special for the same 8-ounce burger it serves all week.
"Being in the Short North and near campus, keeping our burgers affordable is extremely important," Brakaj said.
What's next: Rebuilding the cattle herd could take years, Harsh said, keeping supply tight and prices elevated.
- For Arch City, that means holding the line as long as possible.
The last word: "We've been able to keep it where it is for now," Brakaj said. "We'll keep doing everything we can to give people a good burger at a good price."