Central Coast bakeries experience chocolate shortage ahead of holiday season

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Imagine a world without chocolate.

" …. oh my gosh … chocolate is my life haha," said chocolate lover Debbi Ashby of Santa Maria.

Jovi’s Delights in Santa Maria is running short on chocolate supplies, just as the holiday season approaches.

"It’s been quite difficult … especially from her suppliers … they haven’t really let her order the sufficient amount that she needs,” said manager Giselle Medina of Jovi's Delights.

Medina said chocolate is one of their most important ingredients.

"Cookies that need a little bit of the details on there … cakes ... they love to have the chocolate covered strawberries on them … so it is pretty important for a bakery," said Medina.

Medina is now looking outside the city for more chocolate.

Bakers at Gina’s Piece of Cake said they too are experience a shortage in chocolate.

"We were able to get what we needed thank goodness to get us through but I'm not sure why the delay for that," said manager Amber Garrett of Gina's Piece of Cake.

According to the US Bureau of Labor, demand for imported goods along with delays at Southern California ports are contributing to the shortage.

"But we were able to go to a different supplier and you know what we need to get what we needed to get us through," said Garrett.

While the bakeries scramble for more chocolate, both are getting slammed with holiday orders.

"Everything is picking up ... more cake ... more pies," said Medina.

"It’s busier than ever and i honestly feel like it will be … just from the precursor of the past couple months it has been so crazy busy … things are finally getting back on track and everybody's so excited for Christmas," said Garrett.

Right now both bakeries are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of orders coming in weeks in advance.