A lettuce shortage is causing problems all across our country, and Strathmore is feeling the effects. Mike Scott from Mike's Bar and Grill said he's had to pull some salads off of his menu because of how much the prices skyrocketed.
"We've had to limit what we're bringing in, plus we've had to limit what we're offering to guests. Our iceberg lettuce was $240 a case, and it normally is $65 a case, so it was literally almost four times the amount.
What's causing this lettuce shortage? A dry, hot growing season in California combined with a virus Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) that affects plants has led to the "decimated" crops and a "massive shortage," which has caused the current shortages we are seeing. Fortunately for Mike, he's been able to find reasonably priced lettuce locally, although that doesn't change the strain felt by the shortage, and he is not sure how long that option will be available as stock is low in grocery stores as well.
"For the most part, we've just gone to some of the local grocery stores, and we've sourced out some lettuce there, which hasn't been overly priced, but we kept it pretty low. We were only buying two to three heads per time."
Read the complete article at www.strathmorenow.com.