How gas costs and inflation are taking a toll on local meat shops

The nation has seen gas prices jump, and now you may want to rethink what's for dinner.

News 12 Staff

Mar 16, 2022, 5:46 PM

Updated 1,011 days ago

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The nation has seen gas prices jump, and now you may want to rethink what's for dinner.
Peter's Meat Market on Arthur Avenue is seeing sky-high prices . Due to the conflict overseas and the high inflation rate, owner Peter Servevio says business is hurting.
"Lamb is not too bad and poultry is not too bad, but the biggest jump was in beef - and that's my biggest item," Servevio says.
Servevio adds it's costing him 25% more than normal to get beef in his butcher shop.
Those looking to make barbecue dishes this summer and want to save a dollar may want to look to other options like chicken, sausage or burgers.
"As far as steaks, roasts, prime ribs - it's out of range. It's insane. Instead of veal cutlets, they'll take chicken cutlets, which is a quarter of the price."
He says customers so far seem to expect the higher prices, but he's trying to give them options anyway.
"We tighten our belts for customers, and we've given them a lot of different ideas to save a few dollars because everything's through the roof."
Frequent customer Gene DiSilvio says he always buys his meat at Peter's and that while prices have gone up, he knows it's not the shop's fault.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the consumer price index rose 7.9% over the last year - the largest increase since 1982.