Java Jacks owner faces tripled utility bills in Tappahannock

Electricity bills at Java Jacks in Tappahannock, Virginia, have recently surpassed $1,000 per month. Jeans Owens, who co-owns the cafe with her husband, said her typical monthly cost was previously between $450 and $500.

Owens has operated the business for roughly eight years. Since 2022, the cost of coffee beans has increased by more than 30%. The price of to-go boxes has nearly tripled, rising from 12 cents to nearly 30 cents each. The combined cost of a cup, lid, and straw has jumped from about 3 cents to over 20 cents.

To manage these expenses, Owens purchases milk and juice at Walmart early in the morning rather than buying from a wholesale supplier. She sources fresh fruit from a local grocery store and compares prices among three different suppliers, switching vendors based on which offers the lowest cost. She has kept some menu items at $10 to retain customers.

Customer behavior has shifted in response to inflation. Owens noted an increase in senior citizens splitting orders. She said the cafe used to see one or two split tickets when she purchased the business, but now receives multiple split orders daily. She also observed a decline in tips when gas prices surged, a trend that reversed as fuel costs decreased.

Staffing has become the primary operational challenge. Owens has been short-staffed at her Java Jacks location and a second coffee shop in Warsaw, Virginia, for months at a time. Rents in the rural area have risen, with a median household income around $50,000 annually. Owens has assisted employees in finding housing and has occasionally paid for motel stays. Five of her current employees carpool to work because they lack vehicles or cannot afford gas prices.

Owens has taken on kitchen shifts to cover labor gaps, delaying front-of-house duties and administrative work until evenings and days off. She is running for the non-partisan Tappahannock town council. Tappahannock is located in the eastern part of Virginia's 1st Congressional District, where a close race is underway between Republican incumbent Rob Wittman and Democrat Shannon Taylor.

Jameka Campbell, an office manager at the Menokin historical site in Richmond County, is raising two children while working two jobs. She said politicians often appear out of touch with current economic realities. Campbell tracks candidates' property ownership and residential locations to determine their connection to the district. She plans to vote for the candidate who best represents her interests.

Campbell uses coupon strategies at a local Walgreens to manage household expenses. On a recent shopping trip, she spent $60.04 on household items including toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and laundry detergent. She saved $27.71 through rewards and promotions, a sum she noted is enough for a meal or a quarter tank of gas.