ORLANDO, Fla.,None — Both Wendy's and Sweet Tomatoes have taken tomatoes off the menu, because the price has tripled. It's all because of the deep freeze that hit the U.S. last month.
The sky-high vegetable prices could soon hit the grocery store; they are already higher than they were a few weeks ago, and will likely go up even more.
At the Sweet Tomatoes on Colonial Drive near the Fashion Square Mall (see map), they actually did have some tomatoes Monday, but they will be gone Tuesday, WFTV was told.
"I don't like it. I depend on fresh foods, fresh vegetables," one Sweet Tomatoes customer told WFTV.
But inside, customers are greeted with a sign warning "Mother Nature Strikes Again." Because of recent freezes, Sweet Tomatoes will no longer serve tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, yellow squash, butternut squash, bell peppers, and eggplant.
"Some vegetables aren't available. Some are so scarce the price is so high," Sweet Tomatoes spokeswoman Tracy Marks told WFTV.
Sweet Tomatoes blames massive crop freezes in Mexico for the change.
Jamie Clemons, of Clemons Produce, is feeling it, too.
"We've never had it where everything got froze out. There's always been somewhere to get the product from," Clemons said.
It's tough to even find some fruits and vegetables. In the winter, 65-percent of our produce comes from Mexico, the rest from Florida.
"The freeze we had was an inconvenience. The freeze in Mexico destroyed the markets," Clemons said.
To give you an idea about the impact, three weeks ago a box of tomatoes would cost $12. Now, it's $40. So, for a tomato that cost 80 cents, it's now $2.50.
WFTV found the sky-high prices have Wendy's cutting back, too, and the prices will get worse before they get better.
Produce buyers say it could be April before consumers see some relief.
"It's gotta be blowing people's budgets outta the water," Clemons said.
Sweet Tomatoes told WFTV it plans to offer a wider variety of prepared salads to offset the losses of these vegetables.
WFTV
