CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to some local restaurants and grocers, beef prices are continuing to rise.
“We’re having a lot of shortages, not only on our meats but our paper products and I know our beef ribs have been the most thing meat wise,” Kelly Martin, the Silverado Smoke House manager said. “It’s been very hard to get.”
Martin said her boss took to Facebook Monday to tell customers why they’ve been out of beef ribs.
“It’s harder to find them and the prices are going up,” Martin said. “Every time he gets a price quote, the price changes the next day.”Management even posted a sign of the restaurants front door giving customers a heads up.
The owners here at Moody Quality Meats on Holly Rd. in Corpus Christi said the reason beef prices have gone up is simple. It all comes down to supply and demand.”
“Most of it’s at the packing house,” owner Charlie Moench said, “They’re having trouble filling holes with labor and you have a high demand for beef right now, so that’s making the prices rise.”
Moench’s family has owned Moody Quality Meats since 1964. He said the beef coming in also has less meat.
Stock yards are holding the cattle for a shorter period of time because of the high demand. So, instead of the cows staying put and getting fat, they are being slaughtered smaller.
“Briskets are a major commodity right now,” Moench said. “You’re getting into the Labor Day Weekend so those prices are probably about 29 percent higher.”
Moench said they make their own cuts in house which helps when it comes to cutting costs.
So, whether the meat is sold well done or rare, business owners ask their customers for patience and understanding.
“We do have our regulars that come in all of the time so yes they are definitely sustaining us,” Moench said.
