‘Everything has gone up’: Lincoln small businesses struggle against rising costs

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Rising costs are pushing some Lincoln small businesses to the brink.

And some are doing everything they can to stay afloat.

Justin and Eva Rimpley own the Bloom Coffee shop near 27th and S streets.

Eva said they are facing the harsh reality of owning a small business in an inconsistent economy.

“It’s just hard to keep up sometimes,” she said.

Due to inflation and increases in minimum wage, the Rimpleys were forced to raise prices to stay open.

“Things don’t go down in price, usually, so they’re always going up just with, like, rent, minimum wage, the cost of goods, products like milk,” she said. “Really just everything has gone up slowly over time.”

Robin Eschilman sells commercial real estate and tracks the number of Lincoln restaurants that open and close every year.

She said so far in 2024, 13 restaurants opened and eight closed.

But that’s not as many openings as in previous years.

“Our theory is that interest rates are high. It’s harder to get a loan to open restaurants,” she said. “Inflation, interest rates, we’re just not seeing many open this year.”

Nick Maestas is the owner of Muchachos near 11th and L streets.

He said he’s not getting the same business he used to.

“The toughest thing for me as a business owner is having to send my people home early or schedule less,” he said.

Maestas also said he enjoys giving back to the community but hasn’t been able to do that as much.

He said to adapt, he’s had to cut his employees’ hours.

“When you run specials and do things like that to drag people in and that’s not doing the trick, you got to find a way to get creative,” he said. “And unfortunately, having to cut some hours is definitely not fun.”

Maestas and the Rimpleys encourage everyone to shop and dine locally to support the Lincoln community.

“Give some local joints a try, and it will truly make the difference,” he said.