Open Kitchen Menu Prices Jump 40% in 5 Years as 63-Year Inflation Tops 999%

Q: Your dollar's value has plummeted. What investment has grown seven times faster than inflation since 1963?

The investment cited is the U.S. stock market, specifically the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In David Enna’s analysis, the Dow is the standout asset in his 1963-to-2026 comparison. Over that span, overall U.S. inflation rose about 999%, meaning $1 in 1963 has the buying power of roughly $10.99 today. By contrast, the Dow’s gain was described as about seven times the rate of inflation. That makes the key takeaway straightforward: while inflation steadily eroded cash purchasing power, long-term ownership of broad U.S. equities dramatically outpaced it. Enna’s point is not that stocks are risk-free, but that over multi-decade periods they have been one of the few mainstream investments to overwhelm inflation rather than merely keep up with it. The broader reporting supports that interpretation. Inflation-protection tools such as TIPS and I bonds can help preserve purchasing power, but they are designed mainly to track inflation, not vastly exceed it. Stocks, especially broad-market holdings, have historically been the asset class most associated with substantial real wealth creation over long periods. So if the question is which investment grew seven times faster than inflation since 1963, the answer is the U.S. stock market, as represented in Enna’s piece by the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

1 articles · Updated · tipswatch.com · Jul 12

$15.50 to $19.75 pasta dishes at Charlotte's Open Kitchen now cost about 40% more than in 2021, extending a much longer inflation-driven climb from the restaurant's 1963 menu.
Meat-heavy items led the recent surge, with meat and sausage prices up about 55% in five years versus 29.2% for the broader food-away-from-home index.
Over 63 years, overall U.S. inflation reached 999% while food-away-from-home prices rose 1,345.9%, putting many current Open Kitchen prices roughly in line with restaurant inflation but above the general CPI trend.
The comparison underscores a broader hit to purchasing power: inflation rose 24.5% in the last five years, while added costs such as a 20% tip and Charlotte's 9.25% meal tax make even modest dining feel pricier.