Café Luce di Vita in Guaynabo is being hit by recent increases in water and electricity bills, plus rising costs for the cooking gas it uses and the coffee it sells, and the coffee’s prices could also increase. Owner Patrick Ascanio expressed frustration: "Hemos enfrentado distintas alzas: la luz, el agua, de todo. El café, el gas. ¡Hay aumentos por todos lados! No sé qué hacer."
¡Hay aumentos por todos lados!
Meanwhile, the governor is waiting for the Oversight Board to authorize an exemption from the sales and use tax (IVU) on food, a measure Ascanio said would bring relief amid constant increases in operating costs. He explained the business runs on a weekly budget, so he must buy gas tank by tank. "A veces me quedo sin gas y el proveedor es transparente conmigo," he said.
Low sales have forced the café, which previously opened Monday through Saturday, to close on Thursdays. Ascanio noted he has 10 employees.