JOPLIN, MO.--- Ishmail Balazi is a man that knows his bacon. He owns the Norma's Kitchen in Webb City, Joplin, and Neosho. Between his 3 restaurants, he goes through 450 pounds of bacon a week.
"Yeah, that sure is, I don't know how many pigs to make that much. It sure is a lot of pigs," states Balazi.
When he got word of a bacon shortage and prices potentially going up, it hit him hard. Because that means he may have to raise his prices.
"I think so, I'll keep it as low as I can. Sometimes it's hard," states Balazi.
The summer drought is affecting the food used to feed pigs and also the demand for bacon is up, because people want bacon on everything theses days.
"Some of them do margaritas on the Food Network," says Balazi.
Charmain McCrary is a waitress at Norma's Kitchen and she takes bacon orders all day.
"I smell like bacon when I get home," states McCrary.
She says if people can't get their bacon, they'll take it out on her.
"Satisfying the customers is the most important thing. If we don't have what they won't even through it's not our fault. But people take it out on the waitresses," says McCrary.
Now in this sea of men, you would think I could find a big bacon fan, but it's Sonya Dawson who loves bacon the most.
"Every morning I always fix bacon and scrambled eggs," states Dawson.
What will happen if she can't get her bacon?
"I guess I gotta go buy a pig and slaughter a pig myself. Make some bacon," says Dawson.
"Yeah, that sure is, I don't know how many pigs to make that much. It sure is a lot of pigs," states Balazi.
When he got word of a bacon shortage and prices potentially going up, it hit him hard. Because that means he may have to raise his prices.
"I think so, I'll keep it as low as I can. Sometimes it's hard," states Balazi.
The summer drought is affecting the food used to feed pigs and also the demand for bacon is up, because people want bacon on everything theses days.
"Some of them do margaritas on the Food Network," says Balazi.
Charmain McCrary is a waitress at Norma's Kitchen and she takes bacon orders all day.
"I smell like bacon when I get home," states McCrary.
She says if people can't get their bacon, they'll take it out on her.
"Satisfying the customers is the most important thing. If we don't have what they won't even through it's not our fault. But people take it out on the waitresses," says McCrary.
Now in this sea of men, you would think I could find a big bacon fan, but it's Sonya Dawson who loves bacon the most.
"Every morning I always fix bacon and scrambled eggs," states Dawson.
What will happen if she can't get her bacon?
"I guess I gotta go buy a pig and slaughter a pig myself. Make some bacon," says Dawson.
