There's a Pepperoni Shortage Affecting Pizza Joints Across the U.S.
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Pepperoni lovers, it might be time to start experimenting with different pizza toppings, unfortunately.
The latest food shortage to strike during the coronavirus pandemic is affecting small pizza shops around the United States. According to Bloomberg, restaurants have been experiencing higher prices from pepperoni suppliers, and in some cases, the cost has risen by nearly double.
Not only are the prices increasing, but the demand for pepperoni has been highly outweighing the supply. Other meat products (like ground beef) were experiencing similar shortages earlier this year, but all are recovering aside from pepperoni, Bloomberg reports.
There are reportedly two main reasons for the current pepperoni shortage.
First, 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. Second, the demand for pizza has risen significantly during the pandemic as people are ordering in more.
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Pizza maker Nino Coniglio is from the Brooklyn Pizza Crew and is the owner of Williamsburg Pizza
So far, the shortage has mainly been affecting smaller pizza shops. Larger chains, like Domino's, are often locked into pre-negotiated, long term contracts where prices can't change, according to the outlet.
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Demand for pizza and delivery food options skyrocketed in March and has remained steady throughout the summer, with Domino's and other food chains hiring tens of thousands of new employees.
