Why your restaurant bill is bound to rise and why there's no reason to be outraged
The restaurant bill. The social outrage, which until a few minutes earlier had them mourned as victims of the virus, now accuses them of being speculators, inveterate profiteers who raise prices beyond measure.
Space inside restaurants. Seats have shrunk. People stand with tape measure in hand and await the predictable and relentless fines from zealous and greedy traffic police. The air conditioning can't be turned on; recirculation increases the spread of the virus. Modern systems are needed, but they're incredibly expensive. The alternative is a mechanical shovel, Saigon-style. Raw materials: in recent months, fruit and vegetables have skyrocketed in price. Other products are no different. Do takeout and delivery—good money, they say on social media. Not really. Almost all delivery services are losing money; it's just a way to stay in touch with customers. Why? Because the couriers (Deliveroo, UberEats, and the like) take in 30 to 40 percent of the cost. And takeout? There are no delivery fees, but VAT, which is 10 percent for restaurants, is 22 percent here. Lockdown costs. Sanitizers are now almost as valuable as champagne. They sell like hotcakes and, like Amuchina in the early days, are extremely expensive. Suppliers always demand payment in advance. The coffers are full anyway. The same goes for nitrile gloves. Then there are the HCCP training and refresher courses. Who pays for them? The restaurateur. The rent. There's a 60 percent tax credit until May. Not much. What do you do in June? If someone pays €10,000 in rent and gets 10-20 percent of the revenue, how do you survive? You can try negotiating with the landlord. Sometimes it works, considering there won't be a big market for the properties. But if the owner has a lot of them, he can afford to leave them vacant. And then there's the crime. These guys arrive with briefcases full of cash and smile at you: take the money, a little, damn it, and right away? In summary: is it possible for restaurants—with food costs skyrocketing, customers like phoenixes, and regulations a jumble—to keep prices the same? Yes, it's possible. Some are trying, to keep the few customers they have left. Will they resist? It's very difficult. And anyone who tries to raise the price of a plate of spaghetti by one euro is a thief? You be the judge.
