The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is beginning to affect New York City, where prices for shrimp, oysters and clams are nudging upward. And restaurateurs and wholesalers fear that costs could increase a lot more in the coming months.
Shortly after the catastrophic accident in the gulf April 20, fish purveyors began paying more for shrimp—a product already in short supply—and for other shellfish, as well.
At the Oyster Bar & Restaurant in Grand Central Terminal, for example, executive chef Sandy Ingber is paying nearly 10% more for the 35 different varieties of oysters he serves at the landmark eatery, which has forced him to raise his menu prices for oysters by 10 cents. None of the restaurant's shellfish comes from the Gulf of Mexico, but the chef said his purveyors are getting more orders from businesses that used to purchase from the affected region.
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