. >> reporter: tidwell blames state taxes, until we showed a second menu from 2003. this one is $6. the price has doubled since 2003. >> yep. >> reporter: so, it's not the farmer or the middleman or the manufacturer. the price hike is happening here, it would seem. >> yeah. i agree with you. but you also aren't staying home for an experience. guest has to pay for that in some way. >> reporter: so does the bars and restaurants. some saydu including labor cost. fewer workers are paid under the table. and many states have imposed higher minimum wages. >> bartenders these days come with a giant resume and they expect to make more money than ever. and all of that ties into more expensive drinks. >> reporter: some owners blame credit cards, that are used in 90% of transactions. those come with fees and a paper trail for the irs. they're not paying taxes and not paying people and the drinks are bad. who wants that? >> nobody. come to brennan's. >>y he what he was drinking, mostly whiskey, with absinthe and a splash o no matter how much you clean, does your house still smell stuffy? b y ifi

. >> tidwell blames state taxes, that is until we showed a second menu from 2003. yeah. >> so it's not the farmer or the middleman or manufacturer, the price hike is happening here, it would seem. >> i agree with you, but you also aren't staying home for an experience. you're coming out. unfortunately the guest does have to pay for that in some way. >> so do the bars and restaurants. more than a half dozen owners we spoke with say even after price hikes profits are slim. that's because of big shifts in the industry, including labor costs. fewer workers are being paid under the table and many states imposed higher minimum wages. >> bartenders come with a giant resume and expect to make more money than ever. all of that ties into a more expensive drink. >> some owners blame credit cards which are now used in about 90% of transactions. those come with fees and a high price to the irs. >> they are not paying taxes, not paying people and drinks are bad. who wants that? >> nobody. exactly. come to brennans and have a sazerac. >> what is that? >> sazerac is a whiskey drin