LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - From the kitchen to the cash register, the cost of beef is on the rise and everyone’s feeling it.

“I just bought a $27 T-bone steak the other day,” said Kevin Mathieu of North Little Rock.

For restaurant owners, even the smallest price jump makes an impact.

“The slightest little dollar, dollar-fifty increase — that’s a big impact,” said Kevin Doroski, general manager and co-owner of Draft + Table in Little Rock.

The reason is simple --- a cattle shortage. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports Arkansas’ cattle inventory is down 1% from last year, which translates to about 1.5 million fewer cattle in the state. Nationally, herd sizes are at their lowest levels since the 1950s, leading to less supply and higher costs.

Prices are also influenced by consumer demand

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