John Paulus, owner of the Forum and Paulus café in Maastricht, thinks the price will rise by about 10 percent for a beer on the terrace. Other food and drink items on the menus are also becoming more expensive compared to last year.

mutual differences

“It’s very difficult to give a general picture,” he says. There are many differences between catering entrepreneurs. Cities are generally more expensive than villages. And the classic coffee shop next door is more reluctant to raise prices than the popular places.

This is reflected in figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). In the first quarter, only coffee shops in the sector recorded a decrease in turnover, while all other coffee shops, such as restaurants and hotels, experienced a growth in their sales compared to the previous year.

In May, the main inflation 6.1 percentcompared to the previous year. This is higher than 5.2 percent in April. Without taking into account the decline in energy and fuel prices, inflation reached 7.9 percent, compared to 7.8 percent in April.

Prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco in the Netherlands increased by 4.1 percent compared to the same month last year. But the prices were in the category of restaurants, cafes and dance halls 7.9 percent higher.

lower volume

volume or quantities sold, In fact it decreased slightly. Thus, the higher turnover is mainly due to the fact that consumers are forced to pay more.

“We feel like we really can’t make it happen,” Paulos says, pointing to all the high costs consumers are already facing.

Passing the high costs

But it is necessary, as the entrepreneur assures. From rent to energy. Costs are spiraling out of control for many companies. According to Paul, it went up quickly by 15 percent, but about half of it got passed. “There is restraint, but margins are under pressure.”

So, earlier this year, Paulus raised prices in its stores by about ten percent. After the summer, we will review what is needed. Other catering establishments have also already raised prices and are not ruling out further increases, as they previously told RTL Z.

Many people think the catering industry has become too expensive, says Frank Strivland, owner of the Polderkeuken and Polderkamer restaurants in Stolwijk. “The vase here costs 3.50, which is sometimes more expensive in the middle.” Like it or not: you have to do it, says the entrepreneur. “It’s a tough market.”

From beer to oil, many foods are becoming more expensive due to the turmoil in the world. For example, Heineken has already announced that it will increase purchase prices for cafes and restaurants. It also ensures that the consumer pays more.

Pornstar With A Cup Of Kava

Joost d’Hondt, owner of ‘t Zusje in Terneuzen, doesn’t want his prices to go up too fast, to keep customers from running away. “You pay €9.20 for a pornstar martini here and you get a glass of cava with her,” he says. “You don’t see that anywhere anymore,” according to Duhunt.

Since there is a chain behind his business, an entrepreneur can buy with others. This saves some costs. “So our prices haven’t gone up that much in relative terms,” ​​he says. “But all around me, I see that prices have skyrocketed.”

Since not all entrepreneurs are comfortable with this, Paulos sees creative ways to ease customers’ suffering. Some entrepreneurs deliberately keep the price of a portion of bitterballen low, hoping that people will order more bitterballen with these bitterballs.

The entrepreneur says that the price of a bottle of wine on the menu can also be deliberately lowered. By moving away from the standard percentage margin and charging a flat additional fee to the purchase price instead. “It seems that its price is more attractive to the customer on the list.”

The industry is experiencing a price struggle

The industry association Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN) recognizes the pricing difficulties faced by entrepreneurs. However, not many costs are passed on, the spokesperson says, which means there’s little left at the bottom of the line. “We cannot make any predictions about price developments, this is an individual choice of entrepreneurs.”

Will prices continue to rise? Most entrepreneurs keep a close eye on prices and margins anyway. Also because they expect an even bigger increase in purchase prices this year, says Paulos. “Let me put it this way: Low price on receipt isn’t realistic anyway.”

They say Paulus, Streefland, and d’Hondt’s business is still doing well. “Many of the restaurants here are also full,” says Paulus. The customer hasn’t really backed out yet, although these stands run much less than in the previous sunny season due to the cold weather.