CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — To-may-toes, to-mah-toes, however you want to say it, it’s about to be more expensive with a tariff taking aim at everything from salads to salsa. Tomatoes will likely be more expensive this summer as most tomatoes from Mexico will face the tariff of just over 20%.
One local restaurant, La Tequila Mexican Restaurant and Bar, is getting ready to feel the hit. They rely on tomatoes for pretty much everything on their menu and use close to 200 lbs of tomatoes in a week.
“You’re going to be eating at least 30-40% tomatoes in everything. We have 10 different kinds of salsas. And even if you don’t make it inside a salsa, you’re going to use it in Mexican food no matter what. It’s one of the big staples inside of that,” Sergio Montes, the Manager at La Tequila, said.
Those tomatoes are imported.
“All the boxes that are back there in the kitchen, they’re all going to say imported from Mexico,” Montes said.
Mexico accounts for more than 90% of U.S tomato imports and often supplies them at below fair market price. But this won’t be the first time the restaurant has faced a price hike.
“It’s a very common thing; we just had the thing with the prices with the eggs,” Montes said.
And although the tariff won't hit until July, it’s something Montes is getting ready for now.
“You have to decide where to get your produce. Not everybody’s going to have the same quality. You have to dance between that line of choosing quality and those prices for your customers,” Montes said.
For La Tequila, raising prices might not be the go-to option.
“People get very upset if you have to modify your prices too much, especially in this economy,” Montes said.
But neither is changing things too much.
“We’re definitely trying to keep on track with making sure our quality is the same,” Montes said.
At this point, only time will tell.
“We’ll have to see in July how it goes. Summer has always been a very good season for us, we’ll have to see how that affects our numbers. Right now, we just don’t know, and we’re going to have to get ready for it. Keep it all in consideration,” Montes said.
The tomato tariff will go into effect July 14.
La Tequila Mexican Restaurant and Bar is located at 5212 Weber Rd. They’re open everyday at 7 am-10 pm and until 11 pm on weekends.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
