Ernie Carrillo still makes his pizzas the same way, but they are getting more expensive. The owner of Joe & Ernie's Pizzeria in Chula Vista says his costs are going up, starting with the cheese.
"We're paying $10 more per case of cheese than we were a month ago," Carrillo said. "We get seven cases of cheese every week. That's $280 a month."
In turn, Carrillo is charging more to deliver those pizzas.
"We use to only charge $2 for everywhere in Chula Vista," he said, "but now we're going from two to $4 depending on where you are."
At a pizzeria there are only so many ingredients to pay for but if you own a supermarket, thousands of items can be hit by the effects of rising gas prices. Grocery store owner Dirk Stump says delivery trucks are now adding charges to their bills for fuel.
"It is a line on the bottom of the invoice," Stump said. "The last page usually right above says 'fuel surcharge.'"
Stump says nearly every item in his Stumps Family Marketplace is flown or trucked from around the country and around the world. As fuel prices rise, he will be forced to pass it on to his customers, but he's not the only business feeling the pinch.
Local
"It's not just going to be grocery stores," Stump said. "It's going to be tire shops, brake places or whatever. They are all going to get the same surcharge."
That means consumers could soon be paying more for groceries and other essentials. The way to save money means clipping coupons, shopping discount stores and buying in bulk.
