SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The price of being a small business owner can add up.
“Since Russia invaded Ukraine, flour has doubled, you know, we definitely have seen Paper goods,” Matthew Lyons, Chef/Owner of Tribute Pizza
“It becomes like a real problem for us because prices go up on us,” Lauren Hodson, Co-Owner OF Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria, said.
Restaurants that use plenty of plump tomatoes are seeing another cost.
The Consumer Price Index is showing the cost of the crop is up 15.3 percent in March; not to mention there’s the 17 percent tariff on tomatoes and higher fuel costs from the War with Iran.
“Canned tomatoes, we are seeing, uh, you know, an inflation on them just with like delivery costs,” Hodson said.
Hodson showed ABC 10News a case of tomatoes at her restaurant that she said would have cost $25 a couple of months ago but, now cost roughly $69. So, the impact is being felt at her business.
“Oh, huge. I mean, I have fresh tomatoes on my Chicago dog. I have fresh tomatoes on every salad. I have fresh tomatoes on a lot of pizza pies,” Hodson said.
She told ABC 10News that typically, winter doesn’t yield the best fresh tomatoes, but this year was especially tough.
“Mother Nature hasn't been helping out a whole lot, you know, um, we've had wet Mexico, we've had frozen Florida, we're not getting the tomatoes that we normally would get in the wintertime,” Hodson said.
While some are feeling the pain, others like Matthew Lyons don’t feel as big an impact from tomato prices.
“We haven't been affected by tomato prices specifically. All of our fresh tomatoes come from San Diego County from the farmers' market, and we haven't seen inflation there,” Lyons said. “The canned tomatoes that we use for our pizza sauce are also California-made. They're grown in the Central Valley, and they're packaged here in California, and we haven't seen the prices fluctuate drastically on tomatoes specifically.”
The goal amid these turbulent times for some is to keep putting out great pies for the people.
“Now it's not the time to compromise on value and compromise on love, right? I mean, in times of uncertainty, the thing that people rely on the most is community, and by supporting your mom-and-pop pizza shop,” Lyons said. “That's how I think, uh, we stick together. I think that's how we all make it through.”
