'Adapt or die.' Small businesses hit hard by gas price hike across Long Island

Owners of small businesses on Long Island say their shops are getting hit hard by the recent spike in gas prices.

News 12 Staff

Mar 7, 2022, 10:39 PM

Updated 947 days ago

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Owners of small businesses on Long Island say their shops are getting hit hard by the recent spike in gas prices.
Sayville Pizza on Main Street has been serving authentic Italian food to customers for nearly 60 years. However, owner Michael Ellison says his profits are getting sliced recently because food distributors are charging more to deliver his supplies. Also, delivery drivers must pay more at the pump, which could push up prices even more.
“We're going to have to compensate them more. People aren't tipping extra, it's the same tips but the gas prices are higher, so we have to take care of those drivers,” Ellison says.
Many other Sayville businesses on Main Street say they're also feeling the squeeze. Frank Palermo, owner of Claws Seafood Market, says not only has the cost to transport fish to the store risen, but so has the cost of petroleum-based packaging. The market started selling beef and chicken to offer some less expensive options to customers.
"The cost of Styrofoam containers, plastic…we're looking at a 38-40% increase across the board," Palermo says. "Adapt or die.”
Blue Boutique owner Tara Farrell says the prices at her store have been impacted by the higher gas prices.
“We just looked at the shipping costs and it's going up at least 20%,” she says.
Farrell says she works hard to keep costs down but never thought she'd see fuel prices affect her business so quickly. She says she’s hoping customers will understand.