The term “market price” is reserved typically for expensive fine food such as lobster.
But “market price” at Cook's Place in Gilpin is for its popular dry-spiced whole chicken wings, which now fetch $13 a dozen.
But that's low compared to $20 a dozen for whole, dry-spiced wings at AJ's Bar and Restaurant in Vandergrift.
“If the prices keeps going up, we're going to stop selling them,” said JoAnn Batiz, owner of AJ's.
Consumers and restaurateurs alike should expect to get stuffed with high wing prices that are expected to soar for at least the next four months to the high watermark of wing consumption and price: Super Bowl weekend in February, when 100 million pounds of wings are served up, according to the National Chicken Council.
Wholesale prices have doubled in the last year, according to Tom Super, vice president of communications for the National Chicken Council, in Washington, a trade association that represents 95 percent of the companies that produce and process chicken in the country.
In August of 2011, chicken wings were going for 97 cents pound. As of Aug. 31 this year, their wholesale cost is $1.86 per pound – making it the most expensive cut of the bird, according to Super.
“The scientists said that the third wing on the chicken is still being developed,” Super said. “We have limited supply and the demand.”
It's a costly situation as the supply is limited and the demand keeps going up, according to Super: The chicken industry has cut back production because of the high costs of corn, which has been on the rise because of the drought and demand from ethanol production, he said.
And demand remains strong: “Wing places are opening new franchises. And we usually see wing prices peak around Super Bowl to March madness but it has remained strong throughout the year,” Super said.
The Burrell Inn in Lower Burrell hasn't raised its wing prices recently, and owner Anthony Distilo knows the business cycle: “When football season starts, the demand goes up and it does every year.”
But this year was different in that the prices never went back down.
“Usually two weeks after Super Bowl, prices drop,” said Roy Cook, owner of Cook's Place.
“But it didn't come down this year,” said Cook, who earlier in the year held at $11 a dozen. “I held the price and ate the good with the bad.
“You got a constant hosing. They found out how popular they were and kept the price up.”
And restaurant owners aren't taking the price hike well.
“Two dollars a pound or more for wings is crazy when they used to give them away,” said Bill Callahan, owner of Buffalo Bills Roadhouse in New Kensington, which sells 3,000 pounds of wings a week.
“I can't give them away,” Callahan said of having to eventually raise prices. “If people don't buy them, then I don't buy them.”
Batiz of AJ's is in the same boat.
“I have to agree with the customers — who wants to pay $20 for a dozen of chicken wings?” she said.
But restaurants and customers are still gobbling them up for now.
“It's crazy, we're now at Super Bowl prices,” said Dennis Neil, one of the owners of Jefferson Poultry in New Castle, which sells to local restaurants and bars.
“How high will it go when the Super Bowl comes? We're a long way from February,” he said.
And prices won't be heading south anytime soon: The USDA projects that poultry prices will continue to rise through 2013.
Mary Ann Thomas is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-226-4691 or mthomas@tribweb.com.
