Cream Cheese Shortage Hits Bergen County !

Supply Chain Issues Have Claimed a New Victim , Your Breakfast

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Recently there has been some debate over the reopening of Bagelicious in Ridgewood after an April 2020 fire destroyed the original shop. The Ridgewood blog has received word from sources in New York City that supply chain issues have claimed a new victim , breakfast. Bagel shop owners from New York City to the Carolinas are struggling to find cream cheese and fear the supply shortage could continue leaving bagels high and dry, per The New York Times.

So where’s the schmear? According to the Hustle newsletter ,many bagel shops use Kraft Heinz’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese as a base for their own in-shop flavors, ordering supplies in bulk that get delivered on massive pallets.

But it’s not just Kraft many bagel shop owners report struggles with other suppliers, caused by a flurry of shortages, including:

Labor shortages at factories
The national truck driver shortage
A shortage of packaging supplies

So what’s a shop owner to do?

The raw cream cheese that bagel shop owners purchase is unwhipped and unprocessed, which means they can’t just raid the shelves of local grocery stores. While some shop owners make do with lighter orders or lower-quality products, others have considered raising prices, temporarily removing less popular flavors, and putting limits on orders.

The shortage has become so acute in New York City that some New Yorkers have even gone as far as making the trek to Bergen County  to replenish their stash. But Some sources are claiming , ” It’s just a regular smear campaign”