Avopocalypse: Has It Come Upon Philly?
Today, we heard a rumor that Philly was slowly, but surely becoming devoid of avocados. A world with out avocados? Has the avopocalypse plaguing Australia come to our beloved city?
I set off and did a little bit of research to see if this rumor had any merit.
I talked to some of our favorite Mexican restaurants to see if they had anything to say about the sudden lack of avocados. They were all pretty much unaffected and were still getting all their orders without problems. Some hadn’t even heard that there was a shortage in the city.
However, as I worked my way down the chain the effects were felt more. Frank Ny, a manager at Food and Friends in Rittenhouse says they have felt the repercussions of the shortages, having to raise prices on the avocados they stock.
“We’ve received some complaints, but the more we pay the more we have to charge” says Ny. “It’s just how it works.”
Some of big name grocery stores that have locations outside the city simply refused to comment on the alleged shortage.
However, a recent report in the Los Angeles Times said massive heat waves in California knocked out some of this year’s crop and may affect next year’s too. The demand for the avocados is much higher than the supply right now. So it’s doubtful these big names won’t been affected too.
So have you noticed this shortage? Have your Hass’s inexplicably gone missing? Are you paying an arm and leg just to make guacamole? Let us know where you have and haven’t been seeing your avocados.
UPDATE: Sylva Senat of Dos Tacos posted to social media that he had just paid $134 for a case of avocados. That’s about twice what they had been.
