Nelson Head, owner and founder of Dixie Bones BBQ in Woodbridge, Virginia, tracks wholesale prices each week so menu prices can stay as fair as possible.
Last week a vendor sent regular russets instead of the premium U.S. No. 1 Idahos Dixie Bones had ordered. The boxes looked the same, and the potatoes look alike—but russets bake up mushy, watery, and bland, while Idahos stay firm, meaty, and full of potato flavor. The cooks caught the switch right away, baked one to confirm, and sent all 30 fifty-pound cases back with a polite note: don’t ever try to pull this again.
This week’s wholesale prices:
Produce: Idaho potatoes remained steady. Red potatoes rose.
Dairy: Buttermilk rose. Sour cream fell.
Sauce staples: Light brown sugar and cider vinegar used in Dixie Bones barbecue sauces both fell.
Wholesale cost changes flow directly through to this week’s menu prices—the same transparent model grocery stores use.
