It was busy at the cafe and John was worn out. No matter how busy the cafe was the way people spent money these days meant that the cafe didn't rake in that much. Also employes were asking for more and more while ingredients and equipment were growing at the same time. Any time you raised the prices the customers were upset and John could tell even though the customers would never explicitly voice their opinions.

Regulars would still come in but they would buy less and tip a lower percentage. So in the end it almost made it so John made just the same amount of money even though he raised the prices. So nothing would change.

Actually things would change. His customers would be less happy. And the cafe, aka John, would be making less takehome because costs had risen. So he was basically fucked either way.

A 

cafe

 used to be a good business to run. The prices and cost of living back then worked out in a balanced way. also people didn't sit around all day nursing one drink glued to their laptops before 2013. Things started to change then. John was still in the game, but barely. He didn't know how much longer he could last.