Higher fuel costs impact spending at South Florida restaurants, imported food and fish

Higher fuel and food costs are causing consumers to scale back on spending at restaurants, a trend that is also pinching local businesses and commercial fishermen.

Wendy Rivers, who says she still needs to eat but doesn't have to eat out, has scaled back on going to restaurants. "I just don't spend as I used to now," Rivers said. "We're feeling the pinch on everything that's associated with the gas prices".

Rivers is not alone. A CNBC survey found that 60 percent of people polled have cut back spending on entertainment, such as eating out.

Lorna's Caribbean and American Grille in Miami Gardens is feeling the impact. Manager Ruthie Bodie says a lot of their food is shipped in from the Caribbean. She says higher fuel and shipping costs have eaten away at about 20 percent of the restaurant's profits.

"We can't raise prices. This is Miami Gardens. This isn't South Beach. We have a lot of regulars," Bodie said. Instead of raising prices, the restaurant has had to scale back on other menu items. "Our lunch specials used to come with a soft drink. Now we can't let it come with a soft drink," Bodie said.

Commercial fisherman Jorge Blanco says he is paying about $3 more a gallon for fuel, so he isn't going out to catch fish as much in the Keys. He says he has to catch "a few thousand pounds just to cover your cost" to break even. Blanco says being a local fisherman has become riskier because if he charges more for his fish to offset fuel costs, he is worried his buyers may buy cheaper, imported fish from overseas.