Pizza Panic: Pepperoni Shortage Might Soon Have You Ordering a Plain Cheese, Kevin McCallister Style

Photo: Yevgen Romanenko (Getty Images)

Don’t panic. This is the most important information gleaned from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. While this phrase dates back to the 1970s, it couldn’t be more appropriate today. And no, we’re not talking about the anxiety and panic surrounding the ongoing pandemic, we’re talking about the potential of a pepperoni shortage.

Seriously, don’t panic. You’re not going to have to eat your ‘za a la Kevin McCallister and have it sans pepperoni. It’s true, many pizza parlors around the country are having trouble getting pepperoni because of a crazy increase in demand (it seems like everyone is ordering pizza lately) and supply chain issues due to the pandemic.

This shortage is mostly affecting small pizza restaurants because the price of pepperoni has steadily increased in recent months, while also becoming more difficult to procure. According to Food & Wine, the main issue is the labor involved in making the pizza topping. It’s very labor intensive and doesn’t really bring in that much revenue so some pork processing plants have decided to turn their attention to other products during the pandemic instead.

But, it’s not all doom and gloom as bigger chains like Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and Little Caesars have long-term contracts with pepperoni producers. So, you can guarantee when you call and order a pie from one of the big boys, you’re going to be able to get your ‘roni fix. It’s just that if you want to support your local pizza joint, you might have to make like Mac in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and enjoy a steaming hot cheese pizza.

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