I'm not sure if this is just my take or if I'm missing something.
I've watched the show Shameless quite a few times. The area where Fiona and the Gallagher crew live—in my opinion—it's genuinely not the kind of "slum" or "ghetto" that some of the big-shot readers seem to think it is. Sure, it might be their version of a slum, but let's not forget, no matter how run-down it is, it's still Chicago.
Regarding things like prices, income, and all that: I'm sticking to the Shameless universe's internal logic. The prices in the show don't exactly match the actual cost of living in Chicago at the time, or at least, they're not a perfect match.
Frank's disability check is $674 a month. Ginger's social security income is unknown, but it's probably around the same. Yet, Frank manages to blow maybe seven or eight hundred dollars a month drinking at the Alibi Room. The drinks there aren't that cheap; they're definitely not a dollar a glass. Frank's spending habits alone prove this point.
Also, in Season 2, Episode 3, Kev suggests to the bartender that they buy the Alibi together. She immediately says no, preferring her life of making about a hundred bucks a day, plus occasionally skimming some cash from the register. The Alibi's business is just okay, so how cheap could the drinks possibly be for the bartender to pull in that much cash every night? Kev's income is probably similar to hers, putting them both around three grand a month.
Then look at the Gallaghers. Fiona works multiple jobs to support five kids, four of whom are in school, covering all the food and expenses. Fiona's poverty is really only relative to people in wealthier neighborhoods. What about the other folks on the South Side? Guys like Tommy and Kermit, who are practically glued to the barstools at the Alibi Room every day—how broke could they really be?
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So, I personally feel that the recent plot developments are totally fine. The protagonist's restaurant has higher prices, but not everyone on the South Side is completely unable to afford it. Plus, don't forget that the American consumer mindset is different from what we might be used to. A lot of people in the U.S. live in a "carpe diem" state of mind; they spend what they have and don't really have a savings culture.
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As for the protagonist opening a restaurant: The restaurant is the starting point for the main character to truly integrate into the Shameless world. Without it, the protagonist would have to get a regular job, and they can't just be wandering around all day, or the novel would hit a wall.
Also, the restaurant is just a tool, as I've mentioned in the book. This is not a "foodie" novel. The restaurant will serve a significant purpose in connecting the main character with all sorts of people in the Shameless universe.
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Anyway, that's the deal. Please don't get too caught up in the pricing—it's honestly pointless. Even the prices in the original show are inconsistent and often contradictory. I'm just a writer writing a novel; I'm poor and have never been to the States, so I truly don't know the real cost of living.
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Oh, right. And about the main character being robbed for having money or having their car stolen in a flash: I'm going strictly by the original show. That kind of stuff doesn't happen all the time in the series. Nobody is constantly getting robbed or murdered. Those 'shameless' folks are mostly just scamming and hustling without much of a moral compass. Serious, violent crime like that is actually pretty rare in the original show. Thanks!