Visitors to this year’s Minnesota State Fair might get sticker shock when buying some of their favorite foods.
Tino Lettieri and his mom are prepping their stand, Tino’s, for “The Great Minnesota Get-Together.” He’s been selling pizza on a stick and calzones for more than 30 years, but something that seems to change every year is the cost.
“As prices go up, I always wonder, at what point is too much?” Lettieri said.
When he first started in 1990, his fair favorites cost about $4. Today, he’s selling them for $15.
“Our food is almost 30% to 40% higher, labor is a struggle because we have to pay more, I pay more than normal because I don’t want to have that turnover,” he said.
He’s not alone. Butcher Boys, known for their London Broil Steak Sandwich, has seen a similar rise in prices over 30 decades due to the cost of meat.
“Beef is probably, you know, $1.50 to $1.75 a pound more than we paid last year,” said owner Dennis Fraleig.
And it’s not just food going up. Rides will also be more expensive. The Skyride used to be $6 for a round trip just seven years ago. Today, that price only gets you one way.
But it’s important to know that vendors are making sure your dollar goes a longer way.
“Pizza on a stick used to be 3 to 4 inches high. It was like a 4 ouncer, and now it’s huge, so when you’re eating it, the value is there,” Lettieri said.
“Everything is prepared, nothing is frozen,” Fraleig said. “It’s not like we’re opening up boxes and throwing it in a fryer, so there’s a lot of labor.”
The Blue Ribbon Book is filled with coupons for several vendors and rides. It costs just $5 at the ticket booth.
Also, Wednesday is your last day to buy discounted entry online at $17 for adults. It goes up to $20 starting Thursday. Kids under 4 get in free.
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