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Portland restaurants struggle to get food, product amid pandemic-related shortages

<i>KPTV</i><br/>Restaurants are having a hard time getting all of the food and products they need because of pandemic-related shortages.
KPTV
KPTV
Restaurants are having a hard time getting all of the food and products they need because of pandemic-related shortages.

By Audrey Weil

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    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — Restaurants are having a hard time getting all of the food and products they need because of pandemic-related shortages.

Lisa Schroeder, the owner of Mother’s Bistro and Bar, tells us Sunday morning she couldn’t find lettuce or spinach at U.S. Foods in northwest Portland, in just the latest example of not being able to find product, order product, or get it delivered from several different places.

“We ordered 14 cases of calamari, we can’t even get one case,” Schroeder said. “We may order blue cheese, sorry we’re all out of blue cheese today, and then when you postpone it, ok I’ll get it the following delivery, no, they can’t even make the delivery.”

In a letter to its customers, the CEO for Sysco, a global distributor, wrote that demand has rebounded earlier and stronger than expected, there are labor and supply chain shortages, and that the volume of orders is regularly exceeding capacity, saying service has slipped and they’re working to improve.

Schroeder said in turn companies are limiting how much she can buy and how often she can get it.

“It’s just everywhere we’re just seeing shortages,” she said.

We also spoke on the phone with several other places, including coffee shops, saying they’re having the same difficulties getting paper goods, like lids and sleeves. One place told us there weren’t enough drivers to deliver their milk.

“Thankfully one of the things we’re doing is trying to get ahead of the game and over order because we’re anticipating these kinds of things,” Schroeder said. “I’ll just keep going until I get what I need but there may be times where as they say 86 something, I may have to say sorry we’re out.”

We also reached out to U.S. Foods to see what they’re dealing with but haven’t heard back as of Sunday night.

As far as some possible solutions, in that email from Sysco, the CEO said they’re trying to source alternative products, expand hiring and offer sign-on bonuses and retention incentives, and plan to create a first-ever driver academy to help have more drivers.

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