Ban on imported meat means restaurants have no ribs to spare

Source: The Grand Rapids Press
Forced to think the unthinkable, Sean Bravata and Quentin Gort paused, as if trying to envision the end of life as we know it.

What would they do if they couldn't get enough baby back ribs to satisfy their customers' cravings? Both men shook their heads, then Gort, regional manager for the Sam's Joint restaurant chain, broke the silence. "We hope that doesn't happen," he said.

Bravata, who oversees the 10-restaurant chain founded by his father, offered a grim, though joking, assessment: "I'll probably be looking for a job."

The cause of their concern is the U.S. government's ban on imported meat from Europe to stem the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. That includes a prohibition on pork from Denmark, which supplies about half the baby back ribs consumed in this country.

While Sam's Joint sells only American-raised baby back ribs, the import ban is bound to force restaurants that serve the Danish variety to switch, Bravata said, thus driving prices up and possibly creating a shortage.

If this worries Bravata, it is at least as disturbing for one of his customers, who was consuming a plate of baby back ribs as if it were her last.

"If I can't get these anymore, I'm gonna spend a lot of time in the hospital," said Therese Hays of Holland. "Oh, they're really good. A little messy. You just kind of slurp 'em down. Ummm, ummm. Yummy, yummy."

Like many Americans, Hays is hooked on baby back ribs, once regarded as little more than garbage.

A couple of decades ago, Danish hog farmers began selling boneless loin cuts to Japan, but were left wondering what to do with the bones. They coined the term "baby back ribs" -- a misnomer, because the ribs actually come from adult hogs -- and began selling them to Americans.

It went from a byproduct to a main product," Bravata said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's the most desirable part of the hog."

Baby back ribs are smaller than traditional pork spare ribs and are cut from the part closest to the spine. Due to the high fat content, the meat is more tender and tasty, some devotees claim, which likely is why they were a hit, accounting for $100 million in imports from Denmark last year. Though foot-and-mouth has not been detected in Denmark, the U.S. ban imposed in mid-March is expected to continue at least through April and possibly longer.

Steven Grover, vice president of the National Restaurant Association, expects the ban to result in higher prices.

"When you're losing 50 percent of this product, that creates a problem," he said. Most restaurant chains have a four- to six-week supply on hand, Grover said, but "if it goes longer, you might start to see somewhat of a shortage."

A spokeswoman for T.G.I. Friday's said her chain has about an eight-week supply and is looking for other sources.

Steve Montanye, who owns six West Michigan Damon's restaurants, said he is concerned, even though his eateries don't serve baby back ribs. Damon's specializes in St. Louis style ribs cut from closer to the hog's belly. With baby back ribs becoming more scarce, Montanye is worried that other restaurants will offer the St. Louis style ribs.

"We're sure this is going to put additional buying pressure on us," he said in the kitchen of his Alpine Avenue restaurant.

Sam Hines, executive director of the Michigan Pork Producers Association, expects the ban on importing European meat to create more demand for domestic meat.

Wholesale prices for pork were so low in recent years that many hog farmers went out of business. The price bottomed out at $8 for a hundred pounds a little over a year ago but since has climbed to $52.

"It's been a long, dry spell," said Jay Flowers, head of marketing for Dykhuis Farms, one of Michigan's largest hog producers. "Right now, we're enjoying a rally in the market."

Bravata's wholesale cost for baby back ribs sold at Sam's Joint was less than $2 per pound a year ago. Now it's approaching $5 a pound.

"I was hoping this was going to work itself out," he said. "It's going to hurt a lot of people. The demand is so high right now, because basically every menu you see has baby back ribs."

The 10 Sam's Joint restaurants go through 6,000 to 7,000 pounds of baby back ribs each week, accounting for 20 to 25 percent of sales, Bravata said.

The restaurant recently began offering St. Louis style ribs as an alternative to baby back ribs.

"The St. Louis style ribs haven't taken off, because people come here for the baby backs," Bravata said. He pointed to a rack of baby backs sizzling on the grill. "We probably sell 20 or 30 times more of this," he said. "We're trying to reverse that trend because of the way the market's been.
Source: The Grand Rapids Press