KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, SportsDrought beefing up barbecue prices

Drought beefing up barbecue prices

NewsChannel 10

Amarillo, Texas - As local BBQ restaurants gear up for the holiday season, they're facing a new challenge. This year it's more expensive to feed their customers and the drought is to blame.

It's a domino effect that started with skyrocketing feed costs, which led to cattle being sold early, meaning beef is now a hot commodity.

Brisket, barbecued ribs, and chopped beef are all favorites at local barbecue joints, but this holiday season, they'll cost you a little more and it's enough to make a big difference.

Roy Dyer owner Dyer's Barbecue explains, "Lower end cuts, which are basically what we use,  shoulders and briskets have increased over 30%."

Which means these restaurants that depend on beef for a living, have no choice but to raise their costs as well.

Tyler Frazer owner of Tyler's Barbeque says, "We have a combination special that's a sandwich, side, and a drink and it's $6.50. It went up 50 cents basically and that was directly related to the price of the meat going up."

Which is changing the way local BBQ eats are doing business.

Frazer says, "If the price of beef gets too crazy, we'll be selling lots of pulled pork sandwiches and lots of chicken."

Dyer says, "We utilize every bit of the product that we possible can. Anyway we can keep from throwing anything in the trash can and still keep a quality product is what we are trying to do."

The situation isn't expected to get better anytime soon.

 Frazer explains, "The cows that have already gone to market can't really be replaced as quickly because they had to sell all their cows, not part of their cows like they normally do. So the price of beef is going to grow because the demand is still going to be there, but the cows are not going to be there because there was not enough food for them."

Experts believe the cost of beef could jump another 30% in the coming months, creating a bigger struggle for these "Mom and Pop's."

Food prices won't be the only thing affected locally, because so many industries in the panhandle are driven by the beef business.