Royal Purple

Issue date: 5/7/08 Section: Lifestyle

Media Credit: Alison Wisneski The Tomato Head Red in the UC sells a variety of pizzas. Ann Wick, marketing director of Chartwell's for UW-Whitewater campus, said that pizza prices are not likely to increase within the next year.

Some of Whitewater's pizza chains have raised prices in order to offset the rising cost of ingredients. The price of flour has tripled, and wheat prices have mulitiplied five times since last year.

Chris Christian, a manager at Gus', said their prices have risen this year.

"Eight months ago a 50-pound bag of flour used to cost me about $9.95," Christian said. "Now that same 50-pound bag of flour costs about $32."

Last September a two-topping medium pizza cost $9 at Gus' but now costs $9.81.

Even with the price changes, Christian said he hasn't seen a decline in tips from deliveries.

"I haven't seen a decline in tips," Christian said. "I don't know if it's just because prices have only risen a small amount, or if it is because Gus' Pizza doesn't have a delivery charge like most places."

The price of cheese, another important pizza ingredient, has risen since June. Most pizzerias had been able to absorb the rising prices of the staple ingredient for a time without passing the cost on to consumers, but with the price spikes of both the gooey and grainy commodities, businesses are finding it hard to keep prices low without sacrificing quality.

The price of wheat has surged in the past month because of constraints on global supply and swelling demand from rapidly growing nations such as China. Cheese has suffered similarly because of this year's lower-than-normal cheese production and higher demand.

Luckily for students, most of Whitewater's pizza establishments have not had to raise their prices.

Topper's Pizza employee, Randal Zander, said he's glad pizza prices at Topper's haven't raised so they won't lose business.

"There's nothing I like [more ] than delivering pizza, except for eating it," Zander said. "Though I didn't expect it, I have actually been getting more tips, which is nice, but I'd deliver pizzas for just a slice and a simple high five."

Pizza prices affect everyone though. Luke Mullins, an apprentice at Mullins Cheese in Mosinee Wis., says his business is only trying to keep up with the rising costs of raw milk.

"I love cheese, and I love pizza," Mullins said. "It makes me gloomy to see the costs of either of those two tantalizing culinary treats increase due to the recession."

Though the rise in prices will affect everyone in the pizza making business in some way, smaller pizza businesses, like Rosa's Pizza and Gus' Pizza Palace, are much more likely to feel the effects of the rising prices over the larger chains.

Rosa's has also been forced to increase the prices once this year about five percent.

Senior Kyle Miller said if pizza prices increased he wouldn't be happy about it, but would try to find the silver lining.

"If prices go up, I might not buy pizza as much so I don't go broke," Miller said. "It might finally make me spend my money on something productive, like Turbo Tax."

While pizza prices continue to grow and students' bank accounts continue to decrease, all people can do is sit and hope that in the future, they won't have to shovel out more dough than they already have to.

Will Cooper contributed to this article

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