A popular Chicago diner is on the verge of closing its doors forever as it struggles with inflation.

Moon’s Sandwich Shop, a business since 1933, has weathered economic storms from the Great Depression to the pandemic.

The store, named after its bootlegging founders, is struggling with rising labor costs and relentless inflation, according to owner Jim Radek.

With prices for eggs, butter and wages skyrocketing, Radek wonders whether he should pass these burdens on to customers who are already suffering from the price increases. At the same time, customers are expressing frustration over rising menu prices, growing concerns about immigration and the increasingly elusive dream of home ownership.

The annual inflation rate in the United States fell to 2.9 percent from a peak of 9.1 percent in June 2022.

Moon’s Sandwich Shop, a long-standing business since 1933, has weathered every economic storm from the Great Depression to the pandemic, but is now on the verge of closing its doors forever.

The shop, named after its moonshining founders, now faces rising labor costs and relentless inflation, according to owner Jim Radek.

Radek told the Wall Street Journal he was not sure which presidential candidate could lead America out of this economic mess.

Unlike his butter suppliers, who can arbitrarily raise prices on a daily basis, Radek cannot afford to scare away his customers by frequently raising prices.

“A year ago, a rib-eye steak cost me $6.95 a pound. Now it costs $8.95 a pound,” Radek said, citing the never-ending customer complaints about the cost.

“You have to tell (customers) a lot about it,” he said.

Moon’s regular customers, which include security guards, childminders and hairdressers, include the concrete proposals of all political parties to combat poverty, address the housing crisis and ensure a living wage for working people.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has proposed expanding the child tax credit, tackling the housing shortage by mandating the construction of three million homes, and punishing price gouging by cracking down on companies that unfairly raise their prices.

She and her allies are expected to outline their party’s strategic plan for election victory at the Democratic National Convention being held this week in Chicago – just a stone’s throw from Moon’s convention.

Moon’s Diner is a staple on the Windy City’s south and west sides, and many of its patrons grew up in neighborhoods rife with crime and poverty, including the former Rockwell Gardens public housing project that once stood behind the restaurant.

A popular meeting place, Moon’s remains a lifeline for those who have remained in the area.

However, rising living costs threaten to drive out even long-time residents.

Tameeka White, a former Rockwell Gardens tenant, faces a rent increase of nearly $600 in just five years.

“And that’s the area,” she told the WSJ, adding that her landlord attributed the increase to sharply increased building insurance premiums.

With an hourly wage of $18.85 as a security guard, she supports several family members. With an annual income of around $40,000, she finds herself in financial distress. She earns too much for food stamps, but can barely make ends meet.

Given the exploding costs of eggs, butter and wages, Radek questions whether he should pass the burden on to customers who are already suffering from a necessary price increase.

Customers often express frustration over rising menu prices, growing concerns about immigration and the increasingly difficult dream of home ownership

She said she was voting for Harris in the hope that she would follow through on her promises to help the working class with food and reduce drug costs.

Eboni Humphrey, a Moon’s regular since childhood, now runs a daycare in nearby Lawndale. She picks up corned beef for herself and a breakfast plate for her uncle and talks about her dream of owning her own daycare in a quieter neighborhood.

But since most of their income comes from government grants for low-income families, that goal seems unattainable. While they waited for their food, Humphrey and White swapped stories with friends.

Both expressed frustration with the economic challenges facing many Americans and questioned the distribution of state resources, especially given the influx of migrants to Chicago. Over 46,000 migrants have arrived in the city since 2022, putting a strain on local services.

“There are people here who are homeless and living on the streets … there are people here in our country who need help,” Humphrey said. While she said she is considering voting for Trump because of his honesty, she is concerned that his legal troubles will remain an obstacle to his re-election. She is now considering whether to support Harris.

Kortasha Jones, a 90-year-old deli employee who grew up in Rockwell, has to spend hours commuting by bus to work because she can’t afford to replace her totaled car.

“Sometimes I can take an Uber or Lyft, but it’s pretty expensive,” she said.

Due to rising food prices, she is forced to eat less and stretch her meals as much as possible.

Although the inflation rate in the U.S. is currently at 2.9 percent, compared to 3.18 percent during the same period last year, Radek said he is not sure which presidential candidate can pull America out of this economic mess.

Radek’s goal is to sell Moon’s by next year and retire at 75. Although he has little faith in either political party, he is still sending a message to attendees at the DNC convention: “Tell the revolutionaries to come over for a sandwich.”

While Jones wants a woman as president, she is worried that Harris will not keep her promises. But above all, she wants a glimmer of hope, she says.

Adrian Buford, a customer at Moon’s who admits to being politically uninvolved, said she wanted to cast her vote for Harris “so that people in poverty have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

As the last of his lunch customers left the store, Radek leaned on a barstool and tallied the problems of his small business.

Chicago’s minimum wage, which increases annually by either 2.5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, just reached $16.20 an hour.

Radek’s goal is to sell Moon’s by next year and retire at 75. Although he has little faith in either political party, he is still sending a message to attendees at the DNC convention: “Tell the revolutionaries to come over for a sandwich.”