There’s a Severe Shortage of Buffalo Pizza’s Signature Cup-and-Char Pepperoni

You go to other places around the country and they usually have a thin-style pepperoni on their pizzas. In Buffalo, many of our pizzerias use the classic, "cup-and-char" pepperoni, which is a little thicker and curls up.

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The pandemic has caused a lot of hardships over the past eight-to-nine months, but could it also be causing a shortage of cup-and-char pepperoni?

According to The Buffalo News, there's a severe shortage of cup-and-char pepperoni, as rising costs and short supply have had an impact on local pizzerias getting their share of them.

Cup-and-char pepperoni is usually pre-cut when it comes to local pizzerias. It's given out through national chains, such as Margherita, which is owned by Smithfield.

The Buffalo News reports that local pizzerias believe the shortage is related to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on supply chains. That could be low-profit margins or perhaps a shortage of workers at production plants. Either way, it's clearly had an impact on Buffalo pizzerias.

Pizzerias, such as Gino's Pizza Place in Tonawanda, has been getting a similar style to the traditional cup-and-char, but the owner Gino Pinzone says you have to slice it yourself.

Macy's Pizza Place, which is now known as one of Buffalo's best places for pizza, has had to turn to a local distributor, Battistoni Italian Specialty Meats, for their pepperoni.

"There was just no way we could go to the fat pepperonis," said Macy's Place owner Nick Argy.

It's not clear when this shortage might end but it is clear that Buffalo pizzerias are committed to sticking with the Buffalo-style cup-and-char pepperoni for their customers, even if it means higher prices and harder to come by.

Read the full story at The Buffalo News.