There Is Now A Pepperoni Shortage! How Will This Affect Your Pizza?

Coronavirus has caused several shortages. Dr. Pepper, Clorox and Lysol Wipes, even coins are all experiencing a shortage in supply. Now, the new coronavirious shortage is the nation's most popular pizza topping.

Pepperoni is now experiencing a shortage! This is bad news for pizza lovers.

Earlier in the pandemic, restaurants experienced high prices and shortages for other meat toppings, like ground beef, according to Bloomberg. It seems as though beef's shortages appear to be easing up, however pepperoni prices have remained high. This is hurting small pizza chains across the country, as they are reporting higher prices for pepperoni.  As of now, the majority of small pizza chains have not incresed their pirices due to the shortage.

Large pizza chains including Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars and Papa John’s haven't experienced shortages or price increases. This is because they buy ingredients with long-term contracts, according to Bloomberg.

But why is this pepperoni shortage happening?

Bloomberg reports:

Barry Friends, a partner at foodservice consultant Pentallect, said the ingredient’s labor-intensive process and low profit margins have made some producers say “screw it” as they streamline operations amid the coronavirus.

 

Pork processors “are basically just shipping out large pieces of meat for further processing,” Friends said. “They’re not doing as much because they don’t have the people to do the work.”

Here's the thing though, this isn't just a supply issue. Demand is up since the pandemic hit as more and more people at home are ordering pizza. So how long will this last before we see an increase in pizza prices? Will some pizza shops stop offering pepperoni due to the increasing prices? Only time will tell.

Enjoy the pepperoni (and the prices) while you can, because with as unpredictable as 2020 has been, there's no telling what the future of pepperoni pizza holds.