TEXAS, USA — It's the early part of crawfish season and East Texans are starting to crave those mudbugs, but according to a few crawfish cooks it may cost you a bit more per pound.
Local business owners of Crawfish Cove in Lakeport and Catch Me If You Can in Tyler said it’s not just the price of crawfish but also spices, sausage and more and increasing cost this year.
"They're getting bigger each week, little by little," said Heather Goettle, owner of Crawfish Cove.
Goettle said as of Wednesday these little crustaceans will cost you about a dollar more per pound, but she said it’s not stopping customers from buying.
"They were willing to pay the price," Goettle said. "But it's just so hurtful how expensive the crawfish are right now."
Amanda Longacre, owner of Catch Me If You Can, said spices and sausage prices have also increased, causing them to delay selling any mudbugs right now.
"The farmers have raised prices because the price of gas and everything that they have to use," Longacre said. "It has been a little bit of a struggle because typically we've already started. We're usually in like week three or four right now."
As for the rest of the season, Longacre is hoping pricing and size gets better.
"The crawfish are looking good so far this year," Longacre said. "So I think in a couple of weeks that they're going to be a pretty healthy size and people are going to enjoy a lot more."
Goettle said mudbug prices will probably drop next weekend but will also increase again around the Super Bowl.
Both business owners are still hopeful that their customers continue supporting them.
"We’re a family-owned business we’re not a corporation so our consumers mean more to us than big companies do," said Travis Vaughn, Goettle's husband.
Longacre said so far not one customer has complained about their price increase.
"I feel like with the portions that we give people they feel like it's a fair price for the quality and the quantity that they get," Longacre said.
Longacre also mentioned that they hope to start selling crawfish once they get settled into their new building in Flint off of State Highway 155. They’re hoping to move in by February.