High commodity prices hit Ohio restaurants hard
Early in the coronavirus pandemic, Taranto’s Pizza in Lewis Center had problems acquiring two staple pizza ingredients: pepperoni and cheese.
“We had a shortage of pepperoni at one point, and then the price went up, and then cheese prices went sky high,” owner Debbie Taranto said. “It made a noticeable dent” in our revenue.
Restaurants throughout Ohio experienced similar shortages and price increases through the coronavirus pandemic, as the ingredients they need are either more difficult to find, or rising in price, leaving restaurant owners with two less-than-ideal options. They can either absorb that price at a time when many are already strapped for cash thanks to the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic, or they can pass the cost to customers in the form of higher prices.