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HOUSTON -- At Molina's Cantina on Washington, Ricardo Molina is an acrobat who is walking a culinary tight rope.

“It's murdering us too. Your groceries to up. Our's go up,” said Molina.

His costs just went up a little bit more after suppliers tacked on fuel surcharges to deliver the products he needs to feed his customers.

“We can't change menu prices quick enough and you have to be sensitive about changing the prices,” warned Molina. “You're driving people out of your stores. It's a real balancing act we're having to do these days.”

To fully understand how far reaching the implications are, you only have to look as far as the complimentary basket of chips on the table at Molinas.

They're cooked in vegetable oil. But get this -- the price of vegetable oil has doubled in just 90 days.

It's just one more reason the restaurant is having to raise prices twice a year instead of just once.

And it’s not just food. Flowers are also more expensive.

Not only is it costing more for Mark Anthony Florist Inc. to fill up its delivery trucks, it's also being hit with a 1-percent fuel surcharge on flowers imported from out of state.

But there's a difference between flowers and food.

“It's a luxury. Flowers are still a nice item, and those who want flowers are going to have to pay for them,” said owner Mark Ruisinger. 

“You can't blame them. They have to cover their expenses (and) they're capitalists,” said Barbara Shook, who follows energy trends for the Energy Intelligence Group. “They're not doing this as a public service.”

The old adage, "there's no such thing as a free lunch" has never rung more true.