Restaurants In My City Are Running Out Of Lettuce Peppers Tomatoes And Other Veggies Food Shortage Verified Live!

And your city is?

Why are you wording this in the form of a question, you obviously feel doom is at hand and you are looking for a circle jerk.

Im not going to give it too you, never mind the recent cold weather nuked a large portion of the tomato harvest.


I know i know BUY GOLD BUY STOREABLE FOOD!
BUY BUY BUY!

There is a new formula for building a six-inch sub at Subway. It calls for two tomato slices, rather than four. And one line of green pepper strips, rather than two.

"We're trying to stretch them out," said River Bonhotel, co-owner of some Roanoke-area Subways.

Signs posted on Subway counters warn consumers that quantities of peppers and tomatoes on sandwiches could be reduced -- or they may not be available at all.

The culprit: Freezing temperatures in Florida and Mexico, two prime wintertime vegetable supply areas, devastated crops this year. It's unusual that both regions would be hit at the same time, said Kathy Means, a spokeswoman for the Produce Marketing Association.

Wet weather in the West affected some lettuce crops as well, though tomatoes, a popular food, often get the most attention, Means said.

Now, suppliers, buyers and retailers are grappling with shortened supplies and prices that have tripled for some restaurateurs. It is a double whammy as prices for other food items, such as wheat and meat, already have been skyrocketing globally. Demand is up for high-protein foods in foreign countries, and there is an increased need for corn to make ethanol.

[link to www.roanoke.com]

Last Edited by The Chef on 03/09/2011 04:19 PM

Roanoke Virginia

complain,complain,there are plenty of insects to eat.

Hey Chef. I paid $1.88 for a head of limp lettuce. Worst head I ever paid for.

Yeah, food is getting crazy. I ended up paying about $79 for the ingredients in chicken fajitas. Chicken freakin fajitas. For TWO PEOPLE. Yeah...so it begins.

There was a note in my box of Misionero romaine lettuce today that explained the quality of such. There was a hard freeze in Yuma, AZ that blasted the epitheleal cells and is causing browning and short shelf life. We were advised to keep our stock low so as not to waste a lot.

Restaurants that do have lettuce around here only have iceberg lettuce because no romaine is available here at all. It's kind of weird to order a salad and have the waiter tell you that no salad is available because there is no lettuce.

in western north texas restaurants have started asking if you want the tomato included

I'm hearing reports of the same from Alabama as well. Plus, the fast food restaurants are leaving off tomatos and making them by request only.

Wendy's stop putting tomatoes on the burgers unless you request it

Tomatoes normally $16 a case are up to $46

Pretty steep increase.

For the most part restaurants here are not raising prices yet

Grow your own, or do without. Seems simple enough to me...

Im a chef in DE and produce prices have been "up" for some time now. The owner and I are seriously considering some topsy-turvey tomato plants in the windows. really sucks about the romaine, I prefer it over iceberg for a salad, and bibb lettuce for a sandwich. Unfortunately, the giant chains dont buy much bibb lettuce so demand is not high, so nobody grows it. with food prices poised to leap with rising gas prices, prospects for mom-and-pop restaurants arent looking very good. If you enjoy dining out, say goodbye to creativity and local produce on your menu.

I have seen this too.

I went to a restaurant the other day and there was a sign posted on the front of the counter.


Due to a shortage of tomatoes we will only serve tomatoes if you specifically ask for them.


Of course I asked for them.

Which is even funnier because the grocery stores are full of tomatoes.

Humm..up here in West Virginia we have plenty of greens on our subways.

It was a harsh winter in Mexico. Temporary thing. Go back to your sandwich line, subway boy, customers are waiting.

Oh come on, are you that uninformed? Mexico had a harsh winter as did the rest of the U.S. crops were decimated. It's temporary.

It's pure BS. The Subway here also has signs about a "shortage". Tomatoes are 68 cents a pound at the local grocery (lovely ripe ones). Lettuce is 98 cents a head. Bell peppers are 68 cents each. Watch: they'll re-introduce veggies with a surcharge.

I live about 5 miles from the Mexican border. The veggies on the plants were mostly destroyed by the freeze a month ago, but the plants are mostly still alive and well.

Last Edited by weegie on 03/09/2011 04:57 PM

That doesn't change that the USDA says to expect higher prices, and turmoil in the middle east always brings higher oil prices. and higher oil > higher gas > higher food cost. I mean, Im a chef, I make a living cooking food for people. Im most likely more informed than you are about the fluctuation in the food market. Im not saying doom, but yes, I pay more now for produce than I did this time last year, and the year before that. Food prices are always changing, so this is not a new occurrence, but a case of tomatoes that cost me $20 2 years ago, almost doubled in a week, about a year ago, and it has yet to go down. from the sound of things its bound to go up.