PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Super Bowl Sunday means big appetites, and Tampa Bay families are planning their game day spreads with an eye on both flavor and budget.
With a projected 1.48 billion chicken wings expected to be consumed during the big game, local barbecue experts and food economists are sharing insights on what to buy, what to avoid and how to make the most of your Super Bowl budget.
Cameron Capri, owner and founder of Q Southern BBQ, has been perfecting his game day menu and tells Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska which proteins give you the best bang for your buck.
“If I see the price is too high, I switch the menu,” Paluska told Capri.
"You have to,” Capri said. “There are alternatives for everything, like off-cuts. It's just whether or not you're willing to make that sacrifice. Pork is always in the middle, relatively cheap. It's not as volatile as chicken and poultry and beef.”
If you are looking to host and are footing the grocery bill, beef is not your friend.
“Our biggest thing is the beef prices during this time. The price of beef is up, and the allotment of cattle is down,” Capri said.
“So that's for your brisket?” Paluska said.
“Yeah, and that's our biggest seller. All my beef products are my biggest sellers. We’ve got brisket, the burnt ends, and then on Saturdays, we do the big beef ribs,” Capri said.
Dr. Michael Swanson, an agricultural food economist with Wells Fargo, confirms that beef remains the biggest challenge for party planners.
"Beef has just been the monster in this food inflation category," Swanson said. "If you're going to put steaks on the grill, you're going to pay somewhere between eight and 10% more than a year ago."
According to Wells Fargo's 2026 Super Bowl Food Report, it will cost $140 to feed 10 people, up $2 from last year. However, several popular game day items have decreased in price.
Chicken wings dropped nearly 3%, while avocados fell by about 2.5%. Chips remained flat, and carrots and red bell peppers dropped 3%.
Most of the overall increase comes from beef and shrimp prices, though Florida residents have an advantage in seafood.
"We pointed out that shrimp was really cheap last year and bounced back up about 8%," Swanson said. "But 80 plus, 90 plus percent of shrimp in the United States is imported from places like India, Thailand, Vietnam and South America."
For Florida shoppers, local shrimp offers better value. In a previous report, Paluska hit the fish markets to show the advantages of buying local.
"You guys are fresh and local. What more could you want?" Swanson said.
The economist recommends strategic shopping to maximize savings.
"The supermarkets have gotten super competitive again, and they're promoting things. What we want to do is pre-scout. So maybe you want to have your two favorite supermarkets," Swanson said.
For those who prefer to skip the cooking altogether, Capri suggests restaurant options offer better value than expected.
"When you look at the cost of ribs, you go to a grocery store right now, and you look at a rack of spare ribs, you're paying a couple of dollars less than what I'm charging, fully made ready to go," Capri said. "It was the hardest thing for me to learn how to do. So that was always my baby," Capri said.
This story was reported on-air by Michael Paluska and converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Paluska and our editorial team verify all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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