DAVID: DAN BROUILLETTE, FORMER
ENERGY SECRETARY UNDER
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
DAVID: AND FROM GAS TO GROCERY,
SOARING 2.4 THE MOST SINCE
2008.
HOW STU LEONARD DEALING WITH
THESE SPIKES?
STU LEONARD JOINS US FROM THE
STORE, WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AS
ALWAYS.
>> YOU, TOO.
DAVID: FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW
YOU, YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF
STORES, YOU’RE IN A GOOD
POSITION IN DIFFERENT STATES TO
TELL US WHAT’S HAPPENING, WHAT
ITEMS HAVE BEEN POPPING THE
MOST THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
>> WE’RE A FAMILY BUSINESS AND
WE’RE GETTING HUNDREDS OF
DELIVERIES EVERY WEEK FROM ALL
OF THE FARMERS AND RANCHERS.
I’VE TALKED TO THEM AND I’VE
TALKED, IT’S ACROSS THE BOARD.
I’VE TALKED TO RANCHERS OUT IN
THE MIDWEST WE GET OUR BEEF
FROM.
I’VE TALKED TO OUR CHICKEN
FARMERS, DAIRY FARMERS AND THEY
SAY THE SAME THING, THREE
THINGS THAT ARE DRIVING THIS
COST INCREASE, ONE IS NO ONE
EXPECTED THIS BURST IN THE
ECONOMY TO HAPPEN LIKE THIS.
I WAS JUST IN DALLAS, I HAD --
HE SAID IT WAS THE BEST MONTH
HE’S HAD IN 43 YEARS AT HIS
RESTAURANT.
AND THE SECOND THING I’M
HEARING FROM ALL OF OUR
SUPPLIERS IS THE LABOR FACTOR.
ECONOMISTS CAN SAY WHATEVER
THEY WANT ABOUT THE STIMULUS
CHECK, BUT IT’S CAUSING PEOPLE
TO STAY HOME.
WE HEAR OF SOME CHEFS AND STUFF
THAT ARE GETTING $1,000 A WEEK
BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND
STIMULUS TO STAY HOME AND SO
EVERY SUPPLIER I’VE BEEN
TALKING TO, THE LOCAL FARMERS
AND SO FORTH ARE TWO-THIRDS OF
CAPACITY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
THAT THEY WANT.
AND THE THIRD THING IS, JUST
COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
I KNOW WE’RE EXPORTING A LOT OF
CORN TO CHINA AND DOUBLED THE
PRICE OF CORN UP.
AND OUR DAIRY FARMERS, THE COWS
EAT 40 TO 50 POUNDS OF CORN A
DAY AND WE HAVE 900 HEAD AT HIS
FARM SO HIS COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
IT’S THE ECONOMY, THE LABOR AND
COSTS.
DAVID: I’M CURIOUS TO UNITE
THIS STORY RISING FOOD PRICES
AND THE STORY ABOUT THE
PIPELINE HACK.
DID YOU--
DID THAT SLOW THINGS UP ON YOUR
SUPPLY CHAIN, THIS PIPELINE
HACK AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
PAST WEEK?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S
DONE.
IT’S DRIVEN FUEL PRICES UP AND
OUR FARMS AND SUPPLIERS THAT
WE’RE TALKING TO SAY THAT IT’S
COSTING THEM DOUBLE TO GET A
TRUCK FROM THEIR FARM, EVEN THE
GULF OF MEXICO, AND WITH THE
SHRIMP, TO GET A TRUCK OF
SHRIMP UP TO NEW YORK AREA
WHERE STEW LEONARD’S IS LOCATED
COST DOUBLE THAN WHAT IT DID
LAST YEAR.
DAVID: WOW, THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE
DON’T RECOGNIZE HOW MANY
RIPPLES THERE ARE IN THE
ECONOMY.
YOU KNOW, IT DOES RIPPLE OUT
ALL OF THESE POLICIES.
THEY SEEM TO MAKE SENSE IN ONE
PLACE AND DON’T MAKE SENSE IN
THE OTHER.
YOU MENTIONED MEAT PRODUCTION,
AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT
VERY MEAT FRIENDLY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
ARE SAYING IN THE
ADMINISTRATION, ACTUALLY HAS
SOMETHING TO DID WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE WHICH IS MIGHT STRIKE
PEOPLE AS ODD.
>> HOW ABOUT THIS GUY.
DAVID: THAT’S A TOMAHAWK, I
LOVE THOSE TOMAHAWKS.
THAT’S A BEAUTY.
>> I’VE GOT ONE WAITING FOR
YOU.
YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT
MEAT PRICES, A TOMAHAWK LIKE
THIS ONE CUSTOMERS LOVE THEM.
DAVID: IS THAT A CONCERN YOU
MIGHT END UP WITH POLICY FROM
INSIDE THE BELTWAY THAT AFFECTS
THE PRODUCTION OF MEAT BECAUSE
THEY THINK IT ADDS TO CLIMATE
CHANGE?
>> IT’S PROBABLE.
--
IT’S POSSIBLE.
THOSE ARE GOVERNMENTAL THINGS
AND I’M TALKING PRETTY MUCH ON
THE GROUND WHAT OUR RANCHERS
ARE SAYING AND RIGHT NOW THEIR
FEED COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
FUEL PRICES HAVE GONE UP AND
THEY’RE STRUGGLING AND THE
OTHER THING, EVERYBODY WAS
CAUGHT A LITTLE FLAT-FOOTED
WITH THIS BURST IN THE ECONOMY.
WE DIDN’T EXPECT THIS MUCH
BUSINESS AT THIS TIME.
DAVID: RIGHT.
>> WE SORT OF WERE THINKING IN
MAYBE JUNE OR JULY, BUT NOT
THIS EARLY.
GRADUATION PARTIES ARE CRAZY.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE ONE
NOW.
DAVID: YEAH, BY THE WAY, STEW,
VERY QUICKLY.
WE’VE GOT TO RUN, BUT I DON’T
SEE MANY PEOPLE WITH MASKS ON
IN THE BACK.
IS THAT--
ARE PEOPLE GETTING RID OF THE
MASKS IN THE STORE NOW?
>> BIG DECISION WE HAVE AT STEW
LEONARD’S, DO WE GO WITH THE
MASK-FREE POLICY, WALMART,
TRADER JOE’S AND WE’RE GOING TO
LET IT BE A PERSONAL DECISION
AMONG OUR CUSTOMERS.
I JUST TALKED TO A LADY THAT
SAID LOOK, I’M STILL GOING TO
WEAR MY MASK WHEN I COME
SHOPPING.
IT’S A PERSONAL DECISION AND
THAT’S THE WAY WE WANT TO LEAVE
IT WITH ALL OF OUR STEW
LEONARD’S CUSTOMERS.
DAVID: YOU MADE IT THROUGH THE
PANDEMIC WITH FLYING COLORS,
STEW.
YOU WERE RIGHT THERE IN THE
BEGINNING AND YOU STAYED THERE,
YOU MUST HAVE HAD THREE HOURS A
SLEEP A NIGHT OVER THE PAST
YEAR, BUT GOD BLESS YOU, YOU’RE
GETTING THROUGH IT, YOU DO
GREAT WORK AND GREAT TO HAVE