Labor Day weekend cookouts are going to cost more this year.

The national average for ground beef is $6.89, according to the Federal Reserve.

Junior's Supermarket VP of Development and Community Engagement Elizabeth Chavez said the business sources its beef from within South Texas.

The store tries to stay loyal to local sources, even if it costs more.

"Yes, there's been an increase in food for four or five years," Chavez said.

The store also works to keep those extra costs from reaching customers.

"We want to try and avoid to pass off those additional expenses on to our customers, and so there are times that we have had to eat the cost," Chavez said.

Drought, high grain prices, and inflation have made cattle farming more expensive, driving up costs for families looking to grill this Labor Day weekend.