LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — More tariffs mean more concerns for small businesses in Las Vegas—especially those that rely so heavily on imported products, like Roma Deli II in the west valley.
"I think everybody's worried," Fausto Presutti told Channel 13 on Thursday. "I am worried about it."
Presutti has owned Roma Deli II for 17 years but said running a small business through COVID-19 and inflation-related price hikes has been really stressful.
VIDEO: Channel 13's Guy Tannenbaum speaks to owner of Roma Deli II, a business that relies heavily on imported goods
"You wake up in the morning wondering how much the eggs are going to be, how much the oil is going to be, how much the prosciutto will be," Presutti said. "So, you're always thinking and worried about it."
Now, with goods imported from the European Union facing additional 20% tariffs, Presutti is left wondering how he's going to manage these new cost increases, because his restaurant relies so much on imported Italian ingredients.
"Pasta, all kinds of meats, tomatoes, oil—all the ingredients we need for our restaurant, because we do real Italian food here, homemade," Presutti said.
Dealing with additional costs will likely include something Presutti told Channel 13 he really doesn't want to do—passing some of the costs onto his customers.
"Definitely some prices have to go up because I can't just absorb all these high costs," Presutti said. "How exactly it works, I'm not sure. I have to work a formula—I have to work some magic, that way I can keep running my small business here."
Channel 13 asked Presutti how difficult that conversation is to have with customers.
"A lot of them don't like it—they say it's too much this, too much that," Presutti replied. "A lot of them understand, because they do their shopping in other places [and see higher prices there]."
Dominique Lodding and Maria Sanchez stopped into Roma Deli II on their lunch break and said as tough as it is, they understand why their bill is a little more expensive.
"Just because the prices go up, doesn't mean the quality goes down," Lodding said.
"I'd rather give my money to a small business than a big corporation," Sanchez added.
Because of that support from our community, Presutti said he's persevering despite the uncertainty.
"We try our best, I don't want to close the door," he said. "I definitely want to come up with a plan, some alternative to make it work–but how we're going to do it? I don't know."
Presutti also hopes the Trump Administration gives these new tariffs a second look.
"To see if the small business people don't need to be flooded with these prices," Presutti said. "We're the bones of this economy, and we work hard trying to make it."
