Ina Pinkney winces when a customer walks into her restaurant and orders nothing but a plate of eggs and potatoes.
It's not that she doesn't want the breakfast business (or the $5.49). But given food prices and other rising expenses at her West Loop eatery, "it would actually be better for me to give that person a dollar to not eat in my restaurant."
"I lose money on a dish like that."
Ina's menu of yummy, mid-priced comfort food should be a natural in this tough economy. But like many restaurateurs around town, even the "Breakfast Queen," as she's known in the dining community, is struggling to cope.