Soaring fresh tomato prices impacting Greater New Haven pizzerias

Connecticut may be the pizza capital of the world, but the price of a key ingredient has been soaring recently, and it’s impacting the places that make our beloved apizza.

At Zuppardi’s Apizza in West Haven, a fan favorite is topped with fresh-sliced tomatoes.

“You have some texture as it cooks, it roasts. You’re going to get those caramelized flavors. It’s a natural sugar because tomatoes are nice and sweet,” Anthony Pearce, co-owner of Zuppardi’s, said.

But a pie like that is costing a little extra dough with tomato prices soaring, leaving a sour taste for business owners. Pearce said that over the last several weeks, he’s seen costs spike. 

“We’ve seen prices basically double. Just in the span of three days, I’ve seen prices go up almost ten dollars per case,” he said.

The consumer price index shows fresh tomato prices are up 23% over the past year, and just last month alone, prices were up 15%. So, what’s driving prices up?

One reason is the weather. Multiple storms and freezes this winter are squeezing crop yields in Florida, one of the country’s biggest suppliers. Pearce said that’s exactly what his distributors told him.

“They were having issues sourcing because of failed crops, and they were going to do what they could,” he said.

Pearce explained that they go through a few hundred pounds of tomatoes every single week. It’s one of their most popular toppings, and they say no matter how you slice it, despite the rise in tomato prices, they’re trying to keep their price on pies consistent.

“They have to be ready, and that’s a big deal. I mean, they have a lot of skin in the game,” Colin Caplan, a New Haven pizza historian, said.

He says other local pizzerias face the same issues when they use fresh tomatoes. Caplan said many are eating the cost to keep prices the same for loyal customers.

“We just got to support all of our pizzerias. Remember, this is the best food, and we make it the best here in Connecticut,” he said.

Pearce couldn’t agree more and has no plans to raise prices either.

“We’re just keeping everything the same. We’re working with our distributors. We were assured it’s a short-term issue,” he said.

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