FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (NewsNation Now) — Saturday football and tailgating are dominating college stadiums across the nation. But, while the smell of barbecue and burgers is the perfect welcome to any football game, tailgating isn’t void of supply chain issues.
You need the meats if you want to tailgate, and the supply chain issues are hitting local markets hard.
“It’s a constant battle to make sure that you have everything that you need,” said Richard McGinnis of Richard’s Meat Market in Fayetteville.
Football season is the busiest season for some businesses and the worst possible time for a global supply shortage.
“We got a lot of people coming in for tailgating, not just tailgating but having parties at home to watch Razorbacks and cooking at home; it’s been really good.”
It’s good when businesses have the goods to sell, but many shops are struggling to keep even basic staples on the shelves.
“Up the creek without a paddle because they’re some things if you can’t get it, you can’t get it,” McGinnis said. “Like right now, stuffing mix; can’t get it, they don’t have it. Soups, creamy mushroom soups, cream of chicken soup, can’t get it. Just about right down the list everything.”
Richard’s Meat Market stocked up early because, without supply, demand doesn’t matter. They couldn’t survive this football season, let alone the next one, and Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away.
“Dry goods for our kitchen for Thanksgiving, we brought it in shop a month ago, month and a half ago, because there was going to be shortages. We knew there were; we were told there was going to be,” McGinnis explained.
McGinnis expanded his relationships to stock up, nearly doubling his wholesalers all to keep customers fed and business rolling.
“Most of the salespeople I use have been my salesman for years, and I’m having to tell them, you don’t have it, I got to go get it somewhere else. And it’s tough. I mean, they’re friends, and they’re trying to make a living just like I am,” he said.
For nearly 30 years, Richard’s Meat Market has been serving its community, and come supply chain or pandemic, they have no plans of packing up just yet.