The most popular item these days at the Casablanca Seafood Bar & Grill in Miami is the $25.95 grilled seafood platter loaded with fish, shrimp, clams, oysters and more. Bargain-hunting customers love it because the platter is big enough for two or even three people to share. But it's not helping the bottom line at Maribel Sanchez's restaurant on the Miami River.

Restaurants like Casablanca are battered on one side by skyrocketing costs of food and the fuel to transport it, while business is declining as cash-strapped customers increasingly view dining out as a luxury they can't afford. To compensate, restaurateurs are getting creative. Some are simply raising prices or switching to lower-priced ingredients. Others are reducing portions, introducing menu items that cost less to make, and cutting staff members or hours. Some are offering discounts or extras like free wine or dessert.

Business has fallen off all over. During the week, Casablanca's dinner business has been cut in half compared to last year, Sanchez estimates. Lunch traffic is down about a third, as more downtown Miami workers opt for a brown bag except on Fridays. The only bright spot is weekend business, which has remained steady.

Read the full story at MiamiHerald.com.