The price of avocados from Mexico, a mainstay at both restaurants, has doubled from about $45 to $50 per box to about $90 to $100, he said. That price has trickled down to customers, now costing them $2 per scoop, up from $1. It’s now cheaper to buy the popular topping from local markets than from wholesalers. Many local grocers now limit the number of avocados each customer can purchase, he said, because of high demand.

“Those signs are because of people like me,” Hammer joked, referring to the quantity restrictions. He said customers are beginning to “tighten their belts” and visit his restaurants less frequently.

They’re also ordering fewer extras like avocado and guacamole. Even mainstay are becoming more expensive. The price of ground beef has increased due to the rising costs of cow feed, Hammer’s suppliers have told him.

Looking ahead

In an attempt to keep things afloat during these uncertain times, Hammer, whose family owned a pub when he was growing up, has stopped taking a salary from the restaurants. Instead, he relies on his digital marketing business for income. He acquired Twisted Root just six months ago, while Joe Biden was president, and Mauka Poke about a year and a half ago, he said.

The seafood restaurant brings in about $350,000 a year with a 5% profit margin, but Twisted Root has a negative 10% profit margin despite its $450,000 yearly revenue. The staff is larger there and the rent higher, plus Twisted Root offers vegan alternatives that are more expensive than meat and dairy products, Hammer said. He tries to keep the menu prices reasonable for customers, which sometimes means taking on more cost.

After qualifying third, Carson Hocevar had high hopes for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at the Chicago Street Course. But while his teammate Michael McDowell passed Shane van Gisbergen and led the opening lap, Hocevar slipped back to seventh.

Just three laps into the race, Hocevar clipped the wall at the apex of Turn 10, shooting out into the outside wall. At that point, he lost control and spun in front of the field.

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Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, and reigning Supercars champion Will Brown all plowed into it, suffering damage. The track was nearly completely blocked as well. A.J. Allmendinger made it through, but not without being clipped by Keselowski on his way by.

Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain led the lucky ones through a small opening between the pile-up and the concrete wall. There was also some contact between cars behind the main crash as drivers tried to slow, with Cole Custer sustaining some damage after hitting Erik Jones.

NASCAR was forced to red flag the race in order to clean up the mess. The stoppage lasted 16 minutes.

This will also impact the $1 million in-season bracket challenge as Hocevar was part of the final 16, facing off against Tyler Reddick in Chicago. Keselowski was facing Ty Dillon, who entered the tournament as the bottom seed.

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William Byron wasn’t involved in the wreck, but the championship leader had his own issues early, going to the pits and falling off the lead lap after experiencing clutch issues.

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The three-time Supercars champion is now a three-time race winner in the NASCAR Cup Series. Shane van Gisbergen won from pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series…and then proceeded to do it again in the Cup race on Sunday.

While chaos broke out behind the leaders, SVG remained firmly in control for the final run of the race, capturing the checkered flag.

“What an amazing weekend for me,” said van Gisbergen. “Lucky guy to drive some great cars. I thank Trackhouse, WeatherTech Chevy and all these guys and girls here, what an amazing weekend. Thanks everyone for coming out, and hope we put on a good show.”

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

Ty Gibbs finished second, matching his career-best finish in the Cup Series. Tyler Reddick was charging fast on fresh tires, but he ran out of time, settling for third. Denny Hamlin came from last on the grid to finish fourth and Kyle Busch rebounded from a mid-race spin to finish fifth.

AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Preece, Alex Bowman, Austin Hill, and Ross Chastain filled out the remainder of the top ten.

As Van Gisbergen approached the white flag, Cody Ware crashed big, burying his No. 51 car in the tire barrier. Luckily for him, he took the white flag before the race-ending caution flew.

Stage 3

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

The final stage of the race got underway on Lap 49 of 75 with Briscoe and Reddick leading the way, trying to go longer than most on fuel.

SVG restarted back in eighth, but quickly made his way up to third. Reddick stayed close to Briscoe about three seconds clear of the three-time Supercars champ.

With 18 laps to go, he easily dispatched Reddick for the runner-up spot. Three laps later, he made the pass for the lead on Briscoe. Moments later, the caution flew for a medical emergency. NASCAR needed to get an ambulance across the track to help a spectator.  

Reddick took the opportunity to pit from third, giving up track position for fresh tires. A handful of cars pitted with him, but it still put him deep in the field.

The green flag flew with 13 laps to go and chaos broke out behind the leaders with multiple incidents. Chastain got put into the tires in Turn 1 and then sent Joey Logano spinning in the next corner, collecting Ricky Stenhouse Jr., but none of this actually caused a caution. Austin Cindric stopped on track with damage, and that ultimately triggered a full-course caution.

In a nine-lap dash, things got very heated between Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace as they battled not just for a spot on track, but for advancement in the $1 million in-season challenge. In the end, Wallace got turned off the nose of Bowman and spun out. 

There was a lot of contact throughout the pack in the closing laps, but things somehow remained green until the white flag incident. And while SVG celebrated the win, his teammate, Chastain, was confronted by Logano on pit road following their contact.

Stage 1

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images

At the start of the race, Michael McDowell managed to get around van Gisbergen and take the race lead. It was a clean start, but William Byron fell behind the pack and went to the garage with clutch issues.

Just three laps into the race, Carson Hocevar slammed the wall at the exit of Turn 10 and lost control while running the seventh. This ignited a multi-car pileup, collecting Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Will Brown, Todd Gilliland, Allmendinger, and Riley Herbst. Cole Custer also sustained damage was trying to slow down.

The rest of the stage was mostly clean except for a spin from Bowman. Most of the field chose to short-pit including van Gisbergen, who went from second to eleventh.

However, McDowell was among ten drivers that stayed out, winning the stage. He was followed by Busch, Reddick, Chase Briscoe, and Preece.

Christopher Bell was penalized for speeding during the first cycle of stops, putting him to the rear of the field.

Stage 2

SVG quickly made up ground with fresh tires, cutting through the top ten with relative ease. Meanwhile, Wallace went for a spin after contact with Kyle Larson.

Later on, Josh Berry spun and slammed the wall, destroying the nose of the car. Several drivers, including Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe, dove to pit road just before the caution came out.

Under caution, McDowell gave up the lead after telling the team that his throttle was sticking. He got fresh tires and a full load of fuel as the Spire team went under the hood to investigate. 

SVG was back in control, leading Allmendinger. Busch went spinning on the restart, costing him all of his track position. To make matters worse, he got a pass-through penalty after driving through too many pit stalls. Katherine Legge also lost control and slammed the tire barrier at Turn 1. She was able to continue.

Van Gisbergen gave up the stage win to pit early, as did Allmendinger. That allowed Ryan Blaney to take the stage win, ahead of Briscoe and Reddick. 

Photos from Chicago – Race

Shane van Gisbergen won his second race of the season when he won Sunday’s street race in Chicago after starting on the pole.

It comes a day after he won the Xfinity race from the pole on the same 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course.

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Meanwhile, the points race tightened.

Ty Gibbs matched his career-best Cup finish by placing second. Tyler Reddick placed third. Denny Hamlin finished fourth and Kyle Busch placed fifth.

Hamlin scored his top-five result after starting at the rear of the field due to an engine change when he had a failure on his first lap of practice Saturday.

AJ Allmendinger was sixth, Ryan Preece placed seventh, Alex Bowman was eighth, Austin Hill finished a career-best ninth in 12 Cup starts and Ross Chastain completed the top 10.

Points leader William Byron’s 40th-place finish tightened the points race.

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Four drivers are within 50 points of Byron for the points lead with seven races left in the regular season.

Byron leads Chase Elliott by 13 points, Kyle Larson by 19 points, Hamlin by 43 points and Reddick by 48 points.

Bubba Wallace holds the final playoff spot. Ryan Preece is two points behind him.