Local Businesses and Residents in Virginia's 1st District Cope with Rising Costs

Rising prices for food, energy, and supplies are forcing small business owners and residents in Virginia's 1st Congressional District to rethink their daily routines. In Tappahannock, a riverside town in the eastern part of the district, Java Jacks owner Jeans Owens reports that input costs have increased sharply since 2022. Coffee prices have risen more than 30 percent during that period. The cost of takeout boxes has nearly tripled, jumping from 12 cents to nearly 30 cents. The combined cost of a cup, lid, and straw has increased from approximately three cents to more than 20 cents.

Owens, who took over the cafe with her husband eight years ago, says the monthly electricity bill has also surged. She typically paid between $450 and $500 per month, but recent bills have exceeded $1,000. To keep menu prices stable, including several items priced at $10, Owens purchases milk and juice from Walmart early in the morning and buys fresh fruit from a local grocery store. She also rotates among three suppliers to secure the lowest costs.

Customer behavior has shifted in response to higher prices. Owens notes an increase in senior citizens splitting orders, a trend that was rare when she purchased the business. Staff tips also fluctuated with gas prices, dipping when fuel costs were high and recovering as prices fell. The most persistent challenge, however, is staffing. Owens operates a second coffee location in Warsaw, across the river. She has struggled to find and keep employees in a rural area where the median income is approximately $50,000 per year and rents have increased.

To address housing and transportation barriers, Owens has helped employees find apartments and temporarily housed some in a motel. She carpooling with about five employees who lack reliable transport. These demands have pushed Owens to work kitchen shifts, delaying administrative tasks until evenings or days off. She says other local restaurant owners face similar pressures.

Jameka Campbell, who works two jobs in Richmond County, agrees that economic reality is out of reach for many voters. Campbell serves as an office manager at Menokin, a historical site, and as the community outreach director for the nonprofit Just Harvest Va. Her organization helps BIPOC communities cultivate food to achieve food sovereignty. Campbell manages her household budget by clipping digital coupons and tracking sales at a Walgreens store in Callao. Her goal is to limit monthly spending on household supplies to $100.

Campbell uses a strategy of buying in bulk during sales events, such as promotions where buying one laundry detergent results in two additional free units. She also applies rewards from one transaction to the next, ensuring she spends the rewards on the same day. In a recent trip, she purchased two 12-packs of toilet paper, tissues, cleaning supplies, detergent, and toiletries for $60.04, saving $27.71. She describes this savings as enough for a meal or a quarter tank of gas.

Both Owens and Campbell are monitoring the midterm race between Republican incumbent Rob Wittman and Democrat Shannon Taylor, the commonwealth's attorney for Henrico County. Owens, who is running for the non-partisan town council, wants the winner to understand the financial pressures facing small businesses. Campbell plans to research the candidates' voting records and property ownership before casting her ballot. She states that if representatives do not reflect the concerns of her district, they should be replaced.

Campbell says she is currently in the middle of the economic spectrum, acknowledging that her financial status could change rapidly. She draws motivation from the history of the enslaved people who worked the land at Menokin. She says if they endured their hardships, she can manage the current cost of living. She intends to make a final decision on her vote closer to election day.