Why is the price of Cream Cheese still so damn high! by Brian Abate

Cream cheese prices increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, as did the prices of many other common grocery items. However, while the prices of most foods have come back down, the price of Philadelphia cream cheese remains high, even though the prices of other cream cheese brands have decreased.

Cream cheese prices initially went up in part because of higher demand and in part because of labor shortages during the pandemic.

Right now, at the Key Food on 486 Henry St., 12 ounces of Philadelphia cream cheese costs $9.49, and eight ounces of Philadelphia costs $6.49, though there is a deal this week that reduces the price to $4, and a 16-ounce container of Philadelphia cream cheese costs $10.49. An eight-ounce container of Best Yet cream cheese usually costs $2.29 but is currently on a deal for $1.99. At Target, eight ounces of Philadelphia cream cheese costs $4.99, while eight ounces of Good & Gather cream cheese costs $2.39.

While I was at a supermarket looking at prices, I saw that a couple of people picked out Philadelphia cream despite the higher prices.

It’s what I’ve always had
“I’m a pretty picky person in general, but especially when it comes to food,” said Mary from Carroll Gardens. “This is what I’ve always had, and it would feel weird to change it now. I’ve never thought about it before.”

That mentality seems to be the same for many shoppers, and some simply grab the Philadelphia cream cheese without checking to see the price of other brands of cream cheese.

Two of the places that rely most heavily on cream cheese in New York City are bagel shops and Junior’s, which is known for its cheesecake. The Junior’s cheesecake recipe is available online, including in the cooking section of the New York Times. The Times lists the recipe as calling for four eight-ounce packages of cream cheese. A few other outlets that posted the recipe call for full-fat cream cheese, but most sites do not specify whether or not it’s Philadelphia cream cheese.

However, the Spruce Eats version of the Junior’s cheesecake recipe calls for “four eight-ounce packages of cream cheese of full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese.”

After reaching out to Junior’s, employees from the restaurant confirmed that they used Philadelphia. They said they have kept the recipe the same for decades, and even when there were supply shortages, like there were during the pandemic, they continued to use the same ingredients to make sure they maintained the same high quality of their cheesecake. They said that Philadelphia was “the best,” and that’s why they refuse to use other brands.

During the pandemic, some locations were temporarily closed, while the flagship store at 386 Flatbush Ave. remained open but with only takeout for a while. Still, I remember getting dinner and cheesecake from the restaurant, and it was an excellent treat during pandemic times.

I also went to Time 4 Bagels at 365 Smith St. and got an everything bagel with cream cheese. I spoke to the worker who got my bagel for me and asked if they used Philadelphia cream cheese.

He smiled and said, “That’s confidential. I can’t give away the cream cheese we use. All I can say is the vegan cream cheese we have is 100 percent vegan.”

I also checked with Brooklyn Bread and asked about their cream cheese, and they said that they make their own unique cream cheese.

I even tried out Best Yet, Good & Gather, and Philadelphia cream cheese in a taste test. They all tasted good to me, and while Philadelphia was my favorite, it was close.

A few key takeaways are that Junior’s cheesecake, a well-known and successful brand, has stuck with Philadelphia cream cheese throughout the ups and downs over the years, while bagel shops are somewhat secretive about their cream cheese. I couldn’t find out if any of the shops I went to used a brand like Philadelphia or Best Yet as their base and then added ingredients to make it their own.

As for why Philadelphia costs more than other brands of cream cheese, it seems to be because most people are willing to pay more to have Philadelphia. The key question for shoppers to answer is whether or not Philadelphia is tasty enough, that it’s worth it to pay higher prices.