With gas prices and food costs growing, local restaurants will have to get creative as patronage takes a turn for the worse.

Cassie Vaughn, supervisor at Alfy’s Pizza in Burlington, said business has been a lot slower.

“People are pinching the penny for gas so they can’t afford to go out and do anything,” she said.

Both delivery and in-house dining have been affected, she said. Jobs that were once two-person feats can now be easily accomplished by one person, Vaughn said, and her crew is often bored by the lack of customers.

Vaughn hopes to combat the issue by offering cheaper deals, but with the rising cost of necessities like cheese, she said finding a balance is difficult.

“We can’t make gas cheaper,” she said.

Local resident Lisa Rumsey said cutting restaurants out of her budget was easy to accomplish, but she still misses her old ways.

“I’ve definitely cut (restaurant dining) out,” she said. “I used to go out two to three times a week and now I go out about once a month.”

Wallen Chinn, manager of the Canton Restaurant in Burlington, said the economy has left a dent in business for the past two years.

“It’s been on a rough trod,” Chinn said. “It’s kind of a downward spiral.”

He said the future looks uncertain due to the many problems affecting business at once. Rising food costs have been an issue for many fellow businessmen, Chinn said.

“There are so many things kind of bunched up together,” he said.

Brad Whaley, owner of Cafe Burlington for the past five years, said breakfast and lunch crowds have remained consistent while dinner hours are slow going.

“What do you do?” he said. “It’s too ... expensive to drive here.”

Each of the few times she goes out to eat, Mount Vernon resident Debi Gustafson said she splits a main dish with a friend to cut costs.

“We’re always looking for deals,” she said. “We’re just that kind of family.”

Good deals are key, said Farrokh Larijani, general manager and chef at the Cascade Brewery in Burlington. He said reduced prices combined with exceptional service are essential to building consumer loyalty. He said a memorable experience can bring a customer back — and with patrons going out less, a good first impression is crucial.

Larijani said he has noticed decreased tourist traffic on Rio Vista Avenue, the street the brewery faces, but frequent stops from the locals have been maintained.

“People still want to go out and dine and entertain themselves,” he said, “They want to forget about their worries, come in here for an hour and really relax and let their shoulders down.”

The brewery has discounted meals that couldn’t easily be made from items at a grocery store, Larijani said. Customers are not going to come out for a hamburger they could make at home. Customers may not be going out to eat as frequently, Larijani said, but when they do they want something special.