The LuLac Edition #5, 447, September 20th, 2025

 

FOOD-TASTIC NEWS

COMING AND GOING

BLAZE PIZZA GOES 

This week we learned that Blaze Pizza  in Wilkes-Barre TWp., has bit the dust. The pizza place, located at 273 Mundy St. next to Mission BBQ, had a sign posted to its front doors Tuesday that read the business was closing indefinitely.

“We are unfortunately going out of business. To our loyal customers: Thank you for the wonderful years! We will miss you all,” the sign said.

According to previous reporting, the restaurant first opened in August 2021.

I thought the location asa well as the number of other food locations were  disadvantage to the eatery. When I was there, the service was slow and it was served cafeteria style. To my knowledge I’m not sure there was pick up

The website  stated  that the pizza . Fresh made-from-scratch dough. Healthful, artisanal ingredients on the assembly line. Inventive to classic. You decide. Blazing hot oven + dedicated pizzasmith + 180 seconds = fast-fired, perfectly crisp perfection. I never had a fast pizza there and the assembly line thing reeked of Cosmo Kramer’s make your own pizza idea.

My best to the people who were affected by this closure, fans and workers alike but to me this was not a good fit for busy, somewhat impatient pizza lovers who were used to something else.

 

BAGELS MOVE SOUTH

A welcome part of news came to Bagel fans in the Wilkes-Barre Area. Bloomin' Bagels, currently in Mountain top is expanding and opening in Plains on October 25^th.

Bloom in’ Bagels in Mountain Top is bringing New York and New Jersey-style bagels to NEPA. Their boiled and baked bagels are made on-site daily.

The bagels have creative flavors like snickerdoodle or garlic herb and rosemary. They also offer many different kinds of cream cheese, from sweet to salty.

Besides bagels, they serve hot and cold sandwiches, pastries, salads, and more. Make sure to try the New Jersey classic—a pork roll, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich.

Mrs. LuLac and I had great sandwiches there and the bagels were very, very good. We can’t wait to go to the Plains store.

But they need workers and here is the information if you are interested in working there. 

 

 

BAGEL PRICE UPDATES

Wegmans $1.20

Price Chopper $1.00

Dunkin’ $2.09  $2.69

Starbucks $1.25 to $2.25

Bagel Art $2.99 to $5.50

Bagel Bar Kingston $1.75

Bloomin’ Bagels $1.30 plain $2.00 to $8.00 spreads.

 

RISING GROCERY PRICES COULD LEAD TO SHRINKFLATION, FOOD INDUSTRY ANALYST SAYS

It's no secret that a trip to the grocery store is costing more these days. Food prices grew by a half-percent from July to August, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index — the fastest monthly change since the fall of 2022.

And overall grocery prices in August rose 2.7% compared to one year ago, according to the CPI.

"Tariffs have a huge impact on grocery prices," food industry analyst Phil Lempert, editor of SupermarketGuru, told CBS News.

Lempert believes the Trump administration's tariffs are one of three primary reasons that Americans are seeing a rise in grocery prices, with the others being climate change and labor shortages.

"We can't grow our food where we used to grow it," Lempert said of the impact of climate change. "... Now it's had to move to Central and Latin America... Number two is the labor shortage... And then third is our tariffs."

One of the products that has seen some of the biggest price jumps is coffee, which has jumped 21.7% compared to one year ago, according to the CPI.

"We got 50% tariffs on coffee from Brazil, and we import about 35% of our coffee beans, unroasted, from Brazil," Lempert said. "... Yes, coffee's going to get more expensive."

He also says the U.S. should brace for shrinkflation — when food and product manufacturers keep prices the same, but reduce the size of items, meaning consumers are ultimately paying more for the same amount.

A September 2024 analysis from Lending Tree found that about one-third of approximately 100 common consumer products had shrunk in size or servings since the start of the pandemic.

Prior to and before his re-election campaign last year in Pennsylvania former Senator now turned Professor Bob Casey warbled of stagflation, even introducing measures in the Senate to keep companies in line. Unfortunately Casey was defeated by billionaire Dave McCormick who doesn’t give a shit about high prices for regular folks. (CBS News, LuLac)