I hate avocados. I know I just ruffled some feathers with that statement, but it had to be said.

Not for lack of flavor or texture, but I find paying $100 for a case of 40 avocados extremely irresponsible. Take it off the menu, you say? Raise the prices? If only the consumer wasn’t so fickle, that might an option. After all, you put it in your salad, in smoothies, and on toast…how could you possibly go without it?

That’s the dilemma. As chefs, we’re committed to using local, sustainable ingredients, yet we are held accountable to the needs and wants of our guests. There’s a strange coexistence between restaurants and the people they serve. The consumer is more knowledgeable about the food they eat, and yet most don’t understand why they pay more for salad instead of fries.

Sustainability is the commitment to remain diverse and productive indefinitely. It gave rise to the “farm-to-table” restaurant, and with it more and more ventured outside their comfort zone, eating a far wider variety of foods. Chefs focused on seasonality and supporting their local farmers. In return, people ate healthier and diversified their palate. Quinoa and bulgur, kohlrabi and kale. The corporate chains took a huge hit in profits as the era of fast food and massed-produced bacon wrapped steaks was over. Non-GMO, wild caught, and free range became the standard. But like all trends, this one didn’t last.

The industry, not to lose out on profits, reacted, and soon the largest suppliers in the U.S. got their hands on those free-range chickens. The corporate chains with their buying power could buy up the supply. The small farms that once thrived in their niche role can’t compete with the larger markets. The problem now is that the trend became the standard, and now sustainability has become less and less sustainable. What made something so desirable in the first place has slowly drained the market of its resources, and when there is less of something it becomes more expensive.

In return, restaurants and chefs have had to make a tough decision: Take the increase in costs and cut into the razor-thin margins or pass along the cost to the customer with a price increase, both of which tend to end badly for the restaurant. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Come on, how many people would quit eating at a restaurant over a dollar?” I wish I could give you a hard stat to back me up, but I can tell you from firsthand experience that the impact is always negative.

Which brings me back to the avocado. Do we raise the price? Eat the cost? Remove it from the menu completely? Honestly, I’m raising the price every time. Whether that sits well with you means you are one of two types of people: When you open the menu, do you look at the food first or the price first? I side with the former. If you do not, then you should just order the fries.