America’s most beloved pizza topping is pepperoni and we have some bad news—it’s not only getting more expensive (as in up to 50% more!), but it’s also getting harder to come by. Looks like production snags due to labor shortages and an increase in demand for pizza during the lockdown have contributed.
Evidently pepperoni is very labor-intensive to produce and has low profit margins—that’s why some producers are saying “screw it” and stopping production while restaurant owners are having to jack up the price of pizza to keep their customers happy.
The big pizza chains like Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little Caesar’s and Papa John’s have managed to dodge the bullet – because they buy large quantities at pre-negotiated prices, but the little guys? They’re over a barrel – and have to pass on the cost to customers.