ANAHEIM, Calif. () — In the days leading up to Easter, the staff inside Anaheim-based chocolate shop Tawdi is hard at work.
“We make some egg chocolates,” said owner Manal Maksoud. “We made them yesterday. They are super fresh. We fill them with candy and we fill it with marshmallow, nuts. So they are fresh.”
It’s a family-owned chocolate shop specializing in Middle Eastern, real chocolate, meaning their milk chocolates only have four ingredients.
“Cocoa butter, cocoa, milk and sugar,” Maksoud said.
But in recent years, the price of cocoa has skyrocketed. While mom and pop shops like Tawdi have tried to shoulder the higher costs themselves, they’ve been forced to raise their prices too.
“Especially when you are working on the high-quality or the luxury chocolate ingredients, you have to keep it the same quality and at the same time to be affordable for the people,” said Mourhaf Alsalami, owner of Tawdi.
Economic strategist Dan Varroney said the cost of cocoa and chocolate are up almost 58% compared to five years ago. He said the war in Iran isn’t helping prices either.
“We started to see prices going up, prices are still going up. That’s all connected to diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is like the main artery that runs through the U.S. economy,” Varroney said.
Researchers at Investors Observer say popular Easter candy brands raised prices by 67% since 2020.
And it’s not just Easter baskets that cost more this year. The price to visit family is high, too.
“Taking a look at the Los Angeles market, today’s gas price average is $6. Yesterday, it was the same price. A week ago, drivers were paying $5.95 and last month gas was $4.70,” said AAA Spokesperson Kandace Redd.
For the first time in four years, the national average for a gallon of regular gas exceeds $4, according to AAA.
“Gas prices definitely affect our customers,” said Maria Dmitrieva, owner of Enjoy Trailer, a trailer and motor home rental company in Orange County.
Dmitrieva said many families are opting for shorter road trips this Spring.
“They need to plan in advance. They need to choose shorter trips versus cross-country long trips. They prefer now to stay local to reduce costs of course,” Dmitrieva said.
Still, the National Retail Federation predicts Easter spending to reach a record $24.9 billion.
Small business owners are hoping for relief for them and their customers soon.
“The most important thing is to make it affordable for the people,” Maksoud said.
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