CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The leading maker of sriracha sauce announced it's suspending sales over the summer because of a chili pepper shortage.
One local restaurant owner says her customers are already asking for sriracha sauce, as the restaurant also deals with other shortages.
“Some meat like chicken is limited," said Yan Yan, the owner of Dao Asian Cuisine. "We have to go to all the HEB’s, all the Walmart’s and Sam’s Club.”
Yan Yan said the limitations, price increase, and shortages are really hurting the food industry.
Although customers who eat at Dao Asian Cuisine have been very understanding, some things are just too hard to keep in stock.
“Customers ask and we say 'Sorry, we don’t have it right now. You’ll just have to wait,' ” Yan Yan said.
California-based Huy Fong Foods expects it’ll be fall before production begins again, but, what about other basic items? Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi economics professor Jim Lee explains supply chain and transportation issues are to blame.
“Those goods coming from overseas and also from distance like California, and Texas tend to rise in prices a lot more so than those goods we can find locally,” said Lee.
At the Asian Food Market off South Padre Island Drive. The staff said they are also seeing shortages of products. Instead of looking to stock up at our local stores, they get shipments from Houston.
Lee confirms Houston and California are the sources for many big businesses, because supplies tend to go to the largest “markets” first, where there are also more wholesalers.
