Inflation Hit NYC's Bodega Favorite: Bacon, Egg and Cheese

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The bacon, egg, and cheese. The classic bodega breakfast sandwich is a staple in many a New Yorker’s diet.  It's inexpensive, though not as inexpensive as it once was, and simple to prepare and have on the go. The pandemic and Russia's conflict with Ukraine have caused today's levels of inflation to rise, leaving bodega owners no alternative but to raise the cost of their renowned cheap breakfast sandwiches.

“Bacon, egg, and cheese — you can’t take that sandwich away,” said Francisco Marte, who owns a bodega in the Bronx. “That’s the favorite sandwich for the New Yorkers.” The price of Marte's bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich has increased from $2.50 to $4.50 as a result of having to raise pricing on everything from sugar to potato chips. Inflation at the wholesale level increased by 11.3% in June from a year earlier the U.S. Labor Department data reported. Compared to June 2021, producer prices have increased by about 18% for products and by almost 8% for services. “These things happen. And normally, in normal times, the supply chain can absorb some of that shock,” said Katie Denis, a spokesperson with the Consumer Brands Association, a trade group representing food, personal care, and cleaning companies. “Right now, there’s just no slack.”

Frances Rice, who stopped by Marte’s bodega for bacon, egg, and cheese, says she’s trying to work out how to cope with less slack in her budget as prices rise. She says there’s always a silver lining. “It means that I buy a good breakfast and stretch it to lunch and don’t eat again until I get home, which means I lose weight,” she said. “Got to look at the brighter side of things, because you know what? Either way, if you got to move, you’ve got to pay. If you’re hungry, you have to eat.”