New York City's iconic bagel cafes are making desperate attempts to locate cream cheese after the supply chain shortage left many just days away from running out.
From Zabar's to Pick-a-Bagel and Tompkins Square Bagels, bagel makers from all over the Big Apple say they barely have a few days' schmear supply left, threatening to take a NYC delicacy off the menu indefinitely.
'This is bad. This is very bad,' said Pedro Aguilar, a manager at a Pick-a-Bagel chain, which has several Manhattan locations. Earlier this weekend, Mr. Aguilar said he had only enough cream cheese to last until Monday.
Nick Patta, an employee who's working at Absolute Bagels on the Upper West Side for the last 11 years, told the New York Times that his Queens-based cream cheese supplier had run out of their go-to cream cheese brand for the first time that in over a decade. He says that he now has just over three days supply of cream cheese left.
'We went this week and the shelves were empty,' Patta added. 'If we cannot find cream cheese, I worry now, what are we going to do?' he added.
Pedro Aguilar, a manager at a Pick-a-Bagel chain, pictured, which has several Manhattan locations said Friday afternoon that he had only enough cream cheese to last until Monday
The general manager at Zabar's, Scott Goldshine, gave an estimate of 10 days when asked about his cream cheese supply, before adding that he had called about eight different distributors over the last several days.
'Begging is one of my plans, which I have done, and it’s helped,' Mr. Goldshine told the Times.
'If anybody’s got it, let them call me.'
Most delis receive cream cheese made by Philadelphia, whose parent company is Heinz. But the dairy product they are delivered is markedly different from the Philly American shoppers pick up on supermarket shelves.
It comes unwhipped and unprocessed, and in huge blocks, allowing delis and cafes to blend it to their specifications. Most add in different ingredients - such as scallions, dill or blueberries, which is then used to complement different bagel fillings.
Going out to a supermarket and buying regular-sized tubs of Philadelphia is impractical, and also means deli owners won't be serving up their specific cream cheese formula that has won them loyal customers.
The general manager at Zabar's (pictured), Scott Goldshine, gave an estimate of 10 days when asked about his cream cheese supply on Friday
New York bagel sellers go through thousands of pounds of cream cheese, pictured, every few weeks
Heinz say they've seen a 35 per cent spike in demand for cream cheese in recent months, when grilled by the Times about the ongoing shortage.
They also site the ongoing supply chain shortage, which has seen products run out due to issues including a shortage of truck drivers, and shortages of other vital staff due to COVID vaccine mandates that many have refused to comply with.
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