Feeling the squeeze: Higher lemon prices impacting Coachella Valley
Lemons will now cost you a lot more money.
Local restaurants tell us the popular fruit now costs about 40 percent more than it was just a few weeks ago.
Lulu California Bistro in downtown Palm Springs uses a lot of lemons.
“I’d say we probably go through a case a day,” said Christopher Bluhm, Lulu’s beverage director
The price of these little yellow guys has gone up big time and this iconic eatery is now making changes about how they serve them.
“Now, what we’ve done is let the guest request them,” Bluhm said.
He said the cost of lemons has gone up more than 40 percent in the past month. Now, to help balance the books, Lulu’s customers must now ask for lemons when ordering water.
“We’re definitely trying to watch our waste and our cost and we’ll definitely give the guests as many lemons as they want,” Bluhm said. “We just want to make sure they’re getting used.”
The US Department of Agriculture says lemons are costing more money this year because of the heatwave, which impact crops and created a shortage in supply.
Despite the increased cost, Lulu won’t raise its prices, saying it just the cost of doing business in the Coachella Valley.
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