Java Jacks Owner Jeans Owens Says Costs Are Crushing Small Business

The price of coffee has jumped at Java Jacks in Tappahannock, Virginia.

Owner Jeans Owens says her beverage costs have increased by more than 30 percent since 2022.

Owens took over the cafe with her husband about eight years ago. Their first years managing the business coincided with the pandemic and inflation. She describes the experience as a series of expensive bumps for small business owners. The cost of beef, sausage, and paper products has all gone up. To-go boxes used to cost 12 cents. Now they cost nearly 30 cents. Cups, lids, and straws once totaled 3 cents. They now cost more than 20 cents.

The electricity bill has also surged. Owens says she typically pays between $450 and $500 per month. She is now paying over $1,000.

Owens attempts to keep menu prices low, holding some meals at $10. She buys milk and juice from Walmart early in the morning instead of using a supplier. She shops for fresh fruit at a local grocery store. She compares prices among three suppliers and switches based on cost. She notes that senior citizens are increasingly splitting orders. She has also seen smaller tips when gas prices were high. Tips began to recover when gas prices fell.

The biggest challenge for Owens is hiring and retaining staff. She operates a second coffee location in Warsaw, across the river. She has been short-staffed at both sites for months. Rents in the rural area have risen. The median income is around $50,000 per year. Owens has helped employees find housing and has temporarily housed them in a motel. Some workers lack cars or are burdened by gas prices. Owens carpools five employees to work. She has moved into the kitchen to cover shifts, delaying front-of-house duties and paperwork until evenings or days off. She says other local restaurant owners are working themselves to the bone.

Jameka Campbell works in Richmond County, across the river. She believes politicians are out of touch with current economic realities. Campbell works two jobs at Menokin, a historical site. She serves as the office manager and as the community and outreach director for the nonprofit Just Harvest Va. The organization helps BIPOC communities grow fresh food. Campbell says she learned about growing and cooking food from her grandmothers. She is strategic about using coupons at Walgreens. She uses the app to clip and track deals. She checks out in batches to apply rewards to the next transaction. On a recent trip, she spent $60.04 on household supplies and saved $27.71. She says that amount covers a meal or a quarter tank of gas.

Campbell says she is researching candidates for the midterm election. She plans to look at their past records and property ownership. She wants to know if they live in rural areas or have second homes in places like the Hamptons. She says if they do not represent her district properly, they have to go. She will make a final decision on who to vote for closer to election day. She describes her financial status as being in between rich and poor. She notes that she could hit the lottery or lose both jobs in an instant. When she feels the strain of high prices, she thinks about the enslaved people who once farmed Menokin. She says if they went through that, she can do this.