Price for pepperoni spikes as covid pandemic produces shortage
Add pepperoni to the list of items in short supply because of the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, small pizza shops across the country are reporting higher prices for the tasty topping, Bloomberg News reports.
The news service found a restaurant in South Dakota is now paying $4.12 a pound compared to $2.87 in January 2019.
NOO! First the hand sanitizer, then toilet paper and Dr. Pepper, now there’s a pepperoni shortage. pic.twitter.com/bezOaVE3ny
— WGNMorningNews (@WGNMorningNews) August 17, 2020
Pepperoni joins the lineup of toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizers, bicycles, coins, aluminum cans and raw meats that have become scarce during the pandemic.
There are reportedly two main reasons for the current pepperoni shortage.
Pork processing plants have had to reduce worker numbers to adhere to local social distancing guidelines, making it more difficult to produce the meat in a timely fashion. The other reason is the demand for pizza has risen significantly during the pandemic as people continue to order in more.
Bloomberg reports that smaller pizzerias have been hit harder by the price increase unlike larger chains such as Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars and Papa John’s because their prices are set in long-term contracts.
Bret Gibson is a TribLive digital producer. A South Hills resident, he started working for the Trib in 1998. He can be reached at bgibson@triblive.com.
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