Sonny Mouy and his wife started downtown Vancouver’s Short and Sweet bubble tea and sandwich shop in hopes of creating a community hub.

They envisioned their vibrant shop at 1011 Main St., would become a place that would draw people who wanted an affordable bite to eat and a place to hang out.

That dream is dimming, however, Mouy said.

Keeping prices down has been a challenge as tariffs and inflation have driven costs up 25 to 250 percent since the business opened in 2022. Food prices have taken the biggest hit, but bubble tea supplies have risen 25 to 28 percent because they all must be imported.

“It’s been a challenge to keep things afloat,” he said.

Mouy joined several other Vancouver-area business leaders for a Monday morning roundtable with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., to dis

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