Restaurateurs promised restraint – Kommersant FM
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Specialists from the Rusprodsoyuz association found out the minimum expenses of Russians for the New Year’s table by calculating the cost of a standard set. It amounted to 5.5 thousand rubles. The set included Olivier salad, hot meat, cold cuts, fruit and dessert. And compared to 2022, the minimum check for the New Year’s table has increased by almost 10%. This does not include alcohol. But in restaurants prices have been rising all year and in proportion to the dollar exchange rate. How is Moscow catering preparing for the New Year? And what can guests expect in December? Aelita Kurmukova found out.
Moscow restaurants promise to keep prices down, despite the New Year’s rush. But they do not rule out that there may be a slight correction. Suppliers have not yet sent new price lists, and catering establishments are still operating at the old prices, restaurateur Alexander Sysoev shares:
“We have a clear understanding that, although Moscow is a rich city, we still must comply with the rules of markups. Therefore, if suppliers raise prices, we will increase the cost by exactly the same percentage. There is no point in doing this preventively. People can count. After the New Year, perhaps the cost of food will rise.”
Now the average guest check at the capital’s catering outlets is from 1.5 thousand rubles. up to 8 thousand rubles. depending on the restaurant. And the last noticeable increase was at the beginning of autumn. Then only poultry meat went up in price by 24%, followed by the rewriting of alcohol prices, and not only from so-called unfriendly countries, notes Moscow restaurant market ombudsman Sergei Mironov:
“Everyone has already raised prices. Some abruptly, some slowly. And today the cost is not growing. The dollar has rolled back a little, everything has already happened with logistics, and prices for basic products are not increasing.
The situation with wine is different: duties on imported wine increased from 12% to 20%. I think that this was a reckless step: on the one hand, we are trying to maintain the price for the consumer, and on the other, we are raising duties, which inevitably affect the entire market.
Again, if only imported wine would become more expensive. Russian wine sellers, unfortunately, have adjusted to this trend of increasing prices. Accordingly, the cost of wine will continue to rise. This trend will continue until the New Year.”
By increasing duties on alcohol from unfriendly countries, the authorities are trying to support local producers. And now, as Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Viktor Evtukhov said in November, the share of domestic wine in restaurant menus has almost tripled. But for now in large cities. And, according to the official, this is still not enough. Russian farmers cannot completely saturate the market, assures White Rabbit Family brand chef Vladimir Mukhin:
“All farm products are not very reliable yet, because our history of creating farming is short. Every time some new obstacles overtake our farmers. For example, a vegetable flea has appeared that eats leafy salads.
If we talk about meat, you can find it of fairly decent quality, but prices are rising at lightning speed or there is simply not enough product. The fact is that meat is sold abroad, to China, for example.
We have to establish friendly relations with farmers so that they also ship products to us. The same goes for crab and seafood that is sold abroad. There used to be more of them, now there are fewer, but this problem exists.”
But there are no unsolvable problems, adds brand chef Mukhin, the future lies in affordable gastronomy. And even if suppliers raise prices, guests won’t notice it much, says chef and restaurateur Vladimir Chistyakov:
“Suppliers always warn in advance about price increases. The boss begins to think about what can be done about it, replace something, remove something. Such changes occur weekly, and we try to make sure that guests do not feel this. Let’s say, instead of mini-squids, which have become expensive, I take ours, Commander’s, and do something similar, but in a new form.”
A number of high-profile openings from famous chefs are planned in Moscow in December. And if we talk about the New Year itself, Kommersant FM sources assure that restaurateurs in 2023 decided to make a choice in favor of regular customers rather than corporate events. Also because the most fashionable venues are designed for only 40-60 people.
Everything is clear with us – Telegram channel “Kommersant FM”.
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