Inflation has triggered one of the quick and in theory cheap resources that workers had to eat during their working day: the menu of the day.

The hotel industry has transferred to the prices of its letters the increases in the costs of energy and raw materials that have been registered for months.

Almost four out of 10 restaurants raised the price of their daily menu between November last year and this April by 5%, another third raised it by 10% and 7% made it more expensive by 15%, according to a survey conducted by Hospitality of Spain , which brings together cafes, bars and restaurants, and Edenred, a company that manages the Ticket Restaurants.

Specifically, the average price of the menu of the day in Spain is 12.8 euros.

A rise of 5% implies that it has risen by almost 70 cents.

An increase of 10%, more than one euro more expensive and 15%, almost two euros more.

In cities like Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Murcia, Malaga, Palma or Bilbao the menu already exceeds the 13 euro barrier and in Madrid or Barcelona it is close to 14 euros.

They are average prices, which include the menus of bars and cafeterias, of lesser value, up to those of restaurants, which offer higher options.

The survey, carried out between the months of March and April, does not include restaurant chains and has been carried out on hoteliers from all the autonomous communities.

Often financed by companies through restaurant tickets, the daily menu is very sensitive to price, since any highly visible increase deters consumers, who then choose to have a single dish or any other option on the menu.

Added to this are other types of covert inflation, such as reduflation (paying the same for fewer quantities or smaller dishes) or forcing the customer to consume more (double beers or thirds, instead of beers).

Daily menu price

The hotel industry defends that the increases they have applied are below the costs they assume, and also below the increases in the CPI.

Inflation soared in June to 10.2%, rising to the highest level in the last 37 years.

The prices of hotel and restaurant activities rose by 5.5% compared to the same month of the previous year.

The energy bill, which represents between 6% and 8% of the costs of the hotel business, has become between 20% and 40% more expensive, depending on the location.

higher raises

It is the cost that has skyrocketed the most, but also most of the raw materials used to make any menu of the day, such as oils, meat, eggs or pasta.

Making a potato omelette, for example, costs much more, since oil has become 42% more expensive and eggs, 23%.

Milk has increased by 20%, pasta by 29%, and meat also accumulates a rise of almost 10%.

The cost of all these products represents around 25% of the total costs, in the case of bars and cafeterias, and up to 50% in the case of luxury restaurants.

Restaurant prices have been rising progressively since the beginning of the year, as reflected in the CPI, going from an increase of 2.6% in January to 5.5% registered in June.

In April, the date of the survey, the increase was 4.2%.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages went from a 4.8% increase in January to almost 13% in June.

The regions with the greatest increases in prices in the restaurant sector are Galicia (up 7.6% in June, according to the INE), Castilla y León (7%), Castilla La Mancha (6.6%), the Balearic Islands and La Rioja (6.7% in both).

Since 2016, the year in which the minimum amount exempt from food vouchers in personal income tax was changed from nine euros to 11 euros, the menu of the day has increased by an average of 9%, although in cities such as Madrid or Barcelona it has. 13%.

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Know more

  • Valencia

  • Seville

  • Saragossa

  • Murcia

  • Malaga

  • Palma de Mallorca

  • Bilbao

  • personal income tax

  • The Rioja

  • Castile and Leon

  • INE

  • Galicia