Boston's food service industry faces significant challenges due to rising food costs and the ongoing trade tensions linked to Trump's tariffs. Business owners like Matt McPherson from Cafe Iterum are proactively raising prices in anticipation of future tariff impacts, particularly affecting their coffee sourcing from Brazil. Similarly, Anil Mezini from Jaho Coffee Roaster & Wine Bar highlights a focus on immediate operations while acknowledging the looming uncertainties in their supply chains, further exacerbated by extreme weather conditions. The market remains volatile, with potential price increases looming despite tariffs being paused.
Matt McPherson, owner of Cafe Iterum in East Boston, said it didn't much matter that Trump had paused "reciprocal" tariffs - which he did on April 9 for 90 days. McPherson and his small team are preparing to raise prices and prepare for the worst.
Despite the fact that Cafe Iterum tries to choose local, McPherson said it's impossible for small businesses to avoid using the global supply chain in some way.
In early April following Trump's tariffs pause, owner Anil Mezini said he wasn't thinking of tariffs and its impact on his coffee shop and wine bar until his team needed to.
Though some Americans may not feel the pain of these tariffs yet, Bloomberg reports that companies are expecting supply and demand issues.
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