Superior Bakery in Fayetteville facing exported wheat price increases due to war in Ukraine

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Business owner Nick Poulos begins his mornings just like every morning, at his bakery.

For more than 30 years Poulos has run the Superior Bakery in Fayetteville, started by his dad 30 years earlier after immigrating from Greece.

"In 65 years, we've seen a lot, we have seen wars we say 9/11, that was a scary day...I thought the world was going to end that day," Poulos said.

Poulos always has his eyes on world events, especially now with the war in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine account for 30 percent of the world's wheat exports. The price of wheat has increased by 50 percent since Russia invaded Ukraine. With supply chain challenges Poulos and his staff are preparing.

"We went through the whole first year of the pandemic without having to see a price change, and then our dozen price went up a dollar and that was our biggest price change," Nadine Ninneman said.

To try and prevent another price increase the bakery ordered supplies ahead of schedule and are trying to find different ways of getting what they need to keep up with high demand.

"And so that the customer doesn't see the struggle that maybe we may have because we have planned and prepared for what may come," Poulos said.

For Poulos, it's about continuing the legacy his father began 65 years ago, meeting challenges head on and embracing them while putting his customers first.

"Everyone can look up a recipe and find a million different versions, but if you don't have passion and don't enjoy doing it, you are never going to get the same result," Poulos added.