For Vienna’s restaurants, the calculation will soon no longer add up: Trained cooks and waitresses have been retrained because of the CoV lockdowns and often have not come back. Many restaurants are run by assistants or career changers. The result is closing days and shorter opening times with increased costs at the same time.
Demands for energy price caps
Maintaining operations is becoming increasingly difficult, Viennese industry chairman Peter Dobcak told Radio Vienna. “Because closed days mean less sales, but the costs are increasing and that is the big challenge where we urgently need solutions from the government.”
An energy price cap and a decoupling of the electricity price from the gas price are required. A cost-covering calculation is no longer possible, says Dobcak: “Because it makes no sense to charge 40 euros for a schnitzel that nobody will buy anymore.”
Hosts satisfied with summer season
According to Dobcak, the summer business went well. “Almost half of the landlords said that they had a very good season. 20 percent said ‘rather poorly’ and the rest were satisfied to moderately satisfied.”
Those who were dissatisfied are mostly on the outskirts. “Of course, the cost burdens were also reflected in the prices. And it depends on the purchasing power of the guests,” said Dobcak.
Martini goose as an expensive affair
The traditional Martinigansl is also an expensive affair this year. The season is “in full swing”, according to the industry chairman. A survey was recently conducted on prices. “Alex Reeds will still accept a ten percent price increase, twenty percent even a bit, but the guests no longer understand anything over twenty percent,” explained Dobcak.
But there is no way around higher prices. “You mustn’t forget. We don’t do this for fun. Energy prices have risen enormously – in some cases up to 13 times as much. Higher costs also have to be borne when purchasing goods and also for personnel, which we also have to or want to pay well.”
