Eating out across Maharashtra is set to become significantly more expensive, with restaurants preparing to raise menu prices by 10-15% within the next 8-10 days. This increase is anticipated just before the festive Diwali season, impacting everything from daily breakfast items and thalis to elaborate dine-in meals and food-delivery orders.
The Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) has confirmed the impending price revisions, attributing them to a sharp surge in various input costs. These include escalating raw material prices for vegetables, grains, pulses, and edible oils, as well as higher commercial LPG rates, rent, dairy product costs, and increased expenses related to hygiene and staff training.
Why Are Prices Rising Now?
Restaurateurs have reported a sustained and significant increase in the cost of preparing and serving food. Vijay K Shetty, President of AHAR, stated that the price adjustments are necessary to recover a portion of these additional expenditures while striving to maintain food quality and service standards.
For example, an idli currently priced at ₹80 could see its cost rise to approximately ₹88-92, while a ₹90 sada dosa might increase to ₹99-104, based on industry estimates. The hike, however, will not be uniform across the board; each establishment will determine its own revisions based on its specific cost structure, location, and business model.
Impact on Alcoholic Beverages and Future Hikes
Beyond food items, Saili Jahagirdar, Pune chapter head of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), noted that restaurants are also considering increasing prices for alcoholic beverages following recent revisions in excise fees. Jahagirdar emphasized that raw material costs are not just rising, but doing so exponentially.
Industry representatives indicate that this proposed revision follows earlier menu price increases, and further hikes cannot be ruled out if input costs continue their upward trajectory. Diners are advised to check current prices at their preferred restaurants, as not every establishment may implement the increase simultaneously.