For restaurants like The Butcher's Daughter and Zack's Family Restaurant, tomatoes are a big piece of the menu.
DOTHAN, Ala. - Tomato costs are up over 22% compared to last year, and local restaurants are feeling the brunt of this. Tomatoes are costing restaurants more than usual, impacting businesses like Zack’s Family Restaurant.
“We’ve noticed an increase about a week ago. They’re usually around $30 a case, and we’re close to about $90 to $100 a case,” said Benjamin Henderson, owner of Zack’s Family Restaurant. Zack’s is not alone. The Butcher’s Daughter out of Enterprise noted the same problem in a recent Facebook post. In the post, they mention a case of 60 tomatoes costing $98.“We use a lot of fried green tomatoes. So that’s one of our big sellers. And then we also use a lot of red tomatoes with our salads. So we go through a lot of them,” Henderson said. The reasons behind the price surge are complicated, with distributors like Sysco sourcing tomatoes from places including Florida and Mexico. Florida’s freeze earlier this year caused more than $162 million in tomato losses, and weather also reduced supply from Mexico, which provides about 70% of U.S. tomatoes. Tariffs and rising transportation costs are also driving prices up. Henderson said he is hopeful that this is a temporary problem and hopes to avoid pushing the cost onto customers. “We’re going to try to keep it how we have it now. We don’t want to put any of that cost on any other families or any other customers that come through our doors,” Henderson said. “Usually, there’s a transition period right now just because the season’s changing. So hopefully we can get through this and kind of get back to normal.” Henderson said he looks forward to Alabama’s tomato season, which is fast approaching. That’s when they will switch to local suppliers for the famed Slocomb tomatoes. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in theMan nabbed after daring high speed chase through Dothan8 children killed in Shreveport mass shooting identified by coroner’s officeNew era begins at Enterprise State with hire of flag football coach
Restaurants Tomato Prices Rising Tomato Prices 2026 Winter Freezes On Crops Freezing Weather Effects On Crops Zack's Family Restaurant Zack's Family Restaurant Tomatoes Butcher's Daughter Butcher's Daughter Tomatoes
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