WHATEVER IT IS, LESS EXPENSIVE
AT THE MOMENT.
THIS VERY SIZZLING AUGUST CPI
REPORT, WHICH CAME IN WORSE THAN
EXPECTED MEANING HIGHER IS
REALLY DELIVERING STICKER SHOCK
TO CONSUMERS AND ANYBODY WHO
EATS, THAT WOULD BE MOST OF US.
GROCERY PRICES PIPING HOT YEAR
OVER YEAR.
MEAT UP 6.7% AND LOOK AT EGGS, A
STEEP 39.8% YEAR OVER YEAR AND
FISH UP 8.7%, MILK 17% HIGHER
YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE THESE
RISING EXPENSES ACROSS THE BOARD
ARE HITTING RESTAURANT OWNERS
AND MANY OF THEM SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS AND THEIR ORDINARY OPERAT
I HAVE ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED
WRITER, ACTOR, AND PRODUCEER
AFTER CHAZZ RESTAURANTS IN NEW
YORK CITY.
CHAZZ PALMINTERI.
GIVE ME YOUR GUT REACTION AND BE
AS DRAMATIC AS YOU WANT ABOUT
THESE PRICES PRICES BUT WHAT ARE
THINK SOMETHING >> IT’S BEEN
HARD.
INFLATION IS UP 8.3%.
THE COST OF FOOD, LIZ, IT UP
11%.
AN EXAMPLE, MONTHS OF AGO, A
CASE OF POTATOES WAS $27.
THEN WENT UP TO $78.
TWO WEEKS AGO IT WAS $94.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO -- IF
SOMEBODY WANTS FRENCH FRIES, HOW
DO YOU SET A PRICE ON THAT?
YOU CAN’T.
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.
OUR PROFITS ARE GETTING LESS.
I DON’T KNOW.
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THE WAY
FOOD IS RIGHT NOW, PLUS YOU
CAN’T GET ANYBODY TO WORK.
NOBODY WANTS TO WORK.
IMPOSSIBLE TO GET WORK.
LIZ: THAT’S WHAT I WANTED TO ASK
YOU.
ARE YOU RAISING WAGES AT YOUR
RESTAURANTS BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT
TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO SERVE PEOPLE
THAT SHOW UP.
>> YES, YOU HAVE TO RAISE WAGES
AND RAISE THE PRICES OF THE
FOOD.
I MEAN, LOOK, I HAVE TWO GREAT
RESTAURANTS, ONE IN MANHATTAN
AND IT’S REALLY COMING BACK.
IT CAME BACK AFTER COVID, AND
THE NEW ONE I HAVE IN WHITE
PLAINS, 264 MAINE STREET.
NOW, THE SUBURBS TAKES A LITTLE
LONGER.
IT’S COMING BACK BUT TAKING A
LITTLE LONGER.
IT’S HARD TO MAKE YOUR PROFIT
NOW.
YOU’RE GIVING IT AWAY TO THE
FOOD AND TO THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE
TO HIRE AND PAY THEM MORE.
LIZ: WHEAT PRICES, CHAZZ, I’VE
BEEN LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT
THOSE AND, YEAH, THEY’VE KIND OF
STARTED TO COME DOWN, I GUESS, A
QUARTER TO DATE, BUT I’M LOOKING
AT WHEAT.
OF COURSE THAT GOES INTO PASTA,
I KNOW YOU’RE BIG WITH ITALIAN
FOOD AT THE ITALIAN RESTAURANTS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
LIZ: UP 25% IN THE PAST YEAR AND
MOSTLY HIGHER AND MAKE IT VERY,
VERY CHALLENGING FOR A SMALL
BUSINESS OWNER LIKE YOURSELF TO
DO BUSINESS.
I MEAN, WHAT IS THE ANSWER HERE?
IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO ANYBODY IN
WASHINGTON DC, WHAT WOULD YOU
SAY?
>> WELL, I MEAN, I WOULD TELL
THEM, CAN WE GO BACK AND BRING
THESE PRICES DOWN?
I MEAN, THIS GIVING AWAY MONEY
IS NOT THE ANSWER.
TOO MUCH MONEY OUT THERE IS NOT
THE ANSWER.
I MEAN, I’M KIND OF REALLY
FRUSTRATED.
YOU KNOW, OUR GOVERNMENT KEEPS
SAYING EVERYTHING IS GREAT,
EVERYTHING IS GOING BETTER.
I MEAN, LOOK, IS IT GOING
BETTER?
YOU KNOW, I DON’T THINK SO.
I DON’T THINK SO.
SO AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, YOU
KNOW, THINK OF -- YOU KNOW, WE
ALWAYS GET, WE ALWAYS GET PUSHED
ASIDE.
WE ALWAYS DO.
LOOK, I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW,
YOU’RE AN ACTOR, YES.
BUT I ALSO -- I’M A BUSINESSMAN.
I’M A RESTAURANT TOO, AND IT’S
IMPORTANT FOR ME, I HIRE PEOPLE,
I WORK WITH PEOPLE, IT’S
IMPORTANT FOR ME, I LOVE NEW
YORK, AND I WANT NEW YORK TO BE
SUCCESSFUL.
DO YOU KNOW A THIRD OF THE
RESTAURANTS CLOSED AND WILL
NEVER OPEN AGAIN, LIZ.
NEVER.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT OF WORK.
RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE
FOR GENERATIONS, CLOSED.
THAT BOTHERS ME.
THAT’S SAD.
THAT REALLY IS SAD.
LIZ: IT’S DEPRESSING BECAUSE
SMALL BUSINESSES MAKE UP OF
TWO-THIRDS OF GDP.
WE HAVE THE BACKBONE OF THE NATION AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN
NATION AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN THE BUSINESS OWNER AND AFFECTS
THE BUSINESS OWNER AND AFFECTS
YOUR RESTAURANT.
>> WE HAVE CHICKEN PARMESAN AND
VEAL PARMESAN AND PEOPLE COME
FROM ALL OVER TO HAVE OUR FOOD.
BUT, YOU HAVE TO RAISE PRICES
AND THAT’S A LITTLE STEEP.
WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO.
SOME OF ARE BREAK SEVEN WE HAVE
TO HAVE THAT AND PUT IT OUT
THERE ANYWAY.
LIZ: WHAT WOULD THAT BE LIKE?
BROCCOLI?
I DON’T KNOW.
YOU HAVE TO TELL ME.
>> OH, EVEN THAT’S GONE UP.
I MEAN, IT’S CRAZY.
IT’S JUST REALLY CRAZY.
YOU KNOW, WE DO PROMOTIONS, WE
DO PRIVATE PARTIES TO HELP, WE
DO EVENTS.
LIZ: HOW ARE YOU BOOKINGS,
CHAZZ?
ARE YOU STARTING TO SEE PEOPLE
FORGO GOING TO RESTAURANTS?
>> YES, I MEAN, I HAVE TO BE
HONEST, KNOCK ON WOOD, OUR
RESTAURANT LIKE I SAID IN
HANDOUT HAT TAN IS DOING --
MANHATTAN IS DOING GANG BUSTERS
AND THE ONE IN WHITE PLAINS IS
COMING BACK STRONG NOW.
LIKE TOMORROW THERE’S A BIG
CIGAR NIGHT AT MY RESTAURANT FOR
CHARITY FOR NYPD AT MY
RESTAURANT IN WHITE PLAINS.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE COME FOR
THAT AND, YOU KNOW, YOU
INTRODUCE THEM TO THE
RESTAURANT, WHICH IS REALLY
NICE.
THEY SAY, OH, I DIDN’T KNOW THIS
WAS HERE.
IT’S A RELATIVELY NEW RESTAURANT
IN WHITE PLAINS.
AND MORE PEOPLE COME TO SEE IT
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVENTS AND
BRING PEOPLE IN AND PROMOTION,
PROMOTION.
VERY IMPORTANT.
LIZ: WE LOOK AT YOU BECAUSE YOU
SQUEEZE EVERY -- YOU TALK ABOUT
PRODUCTIVITY AND CHAZ NOT ONLY
WAS AN ECONOMY AWARD NOMINATED
AND MULTI-AWARD WINNING ACTOR
AND OF COURSE, I LOVED YOU IN
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY.
PEOPLE GO NUTS OVER YOU IN THE
USUAL SUSPECTS, ONE OF MY
FAVORITES.
>> THANK YOU.
LIZ: BUT THE BRONX TALE, A BRONX
TALE, THIS WAS THE ONE THAT
REALLY KIND OF MADE YOU THE
"OVERNIGHT SUCCESS".
YOU’VE GOT A ONE-MAN SHOW COMING
UP.
TELL US --
>> YEAH, OCTOBER 1 AT THE TOWN
HALL THEATER IN MANHATTAN ON
WEST 43RD STREET AT 8:00
SATURDAY NIGHT, THIS IS THE
FIRST TIME IN 34 YEARS THAT I’LL
BE DOING A Q&A AFTER THE ONE MAN
SHOW.
AFTER THE SHOW, I’LL BE TAKING
QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE
ABOUT THE ONE MAN SHOW, THE
MOVIE, THE MUSICAL.
I GOT GREAT STORIES, I GOT SOME
VERY BIG SURPRISE GUESTS THAT
ARE COMING AND I DON’T WANT TO
SAY WHO IT IS AND THEY CAN MAKE
IT FOR WHATEVER REASON.
IT’S GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE
NIGHT OCTOBER 1 AT THE TOWN
HALL.
LIZ: WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, BUT
I KNOW YOU’RE WORKING AND
SWEATING IT OUT WITH THESE HIGH
PRICES.
WE SO APPRECIATE YOU OPENING THE
WINDOW INTO WHAT IT’S LIKE FOR
EWE AND YOUR EMPLOYEES AT YOUR
RESTAURANTS.
PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH, CHAZZ.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> GOD BLESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LIZ: YOU’RE WELCOME.
AND YOUR WORK ON COJACK WAS WAY
UNDERRATED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.