Mmmmmm, I know exactly where you're talking about. My favorite restaurant in town. :) The owners are friends of mine. They have stayed true to their commitment to using local and organic, but yes, ultimately the patrons must foot the bill, or they would have to yield and compromise quality. Fortunately they have cultivated a community which understands the true cost of such things.
I myself have been wrestling with similar concerns. My roommates and i were just speaking of it last night, in fact. Often times one must stand firm in their resolve to be paid a fair value for their efforts. With me it has always been difficult with friends, but at 40, my willingness to create clear boundaries is finally taking root.
Thanks for the timely post... More food for thought. :)
Yeah @lovejoy, Gorkha is so good I just can't quit it, but I haven't been as much of a curmudgeon the last year or two. It was just especially hard since I've been going since they opened. A lot of photographers charge $500 a sessions or less, so when clients email me inquiring about a shoot and I send them back a rate twice that, I'm sure it's jarring. Fortunately, I think I've gotten to a point in my career where they feel I'm worth it because I still get hired regularly. Glad this post resonated with you. It was a little hard to approach. Newer artists that haven't been struggling for 10 or 15 years can sometimes get defensive with this topic.