Your favorite sandwich might soon be missing something. Tomatoes are in short supply. Cold weather in Florida this winter ruined much of the tomato crop and created a big shortage.
At The Red Onion Cafe in Burlington, customers can still get a tomato on their sandwich. That's not expected to last long.
" I don't want people to not be able to get what they want," said Andrew Gersak, a Red Onion employee. "It's like a dollar a tomato and when you cut it up even it's only six slices."
Tomatoes are selling for double what they sold for before the January freeze. The shortage is cutting into profits. The Red Onion won't buy anymore tomatoes until the price drops.
"I mean I don't want to stop using tomatoes forever but I don't want to pay $70 a case for them either," said Gersak.
Bove's Cafe has been a Burlington institution for 70 years. It's hard to find a dish at the restaurant without tomato sauce. They go through up to 15 cases of canned tomatoes a day. The dishes are homemade and the owner does his homework.
"We buy our pasta products and tomato products years in advance," said Dick Bove.
It's about buying low. Bove said that way a family of four can still enjoy a meal for $20.
"I keep a lid on our prices. We keep it low at the restaurant," said Bove.
The main meal might not be a problem but Bove does need fresh and now expensive tomatoes for salads.
"We will have a tough time but we make it up on the other end with the pasta and sauce," said Bove.
The good news is the tomato shortage is expected to improve in April.
http://www.fox44now.com/global/story.asp?s=12112552
