Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The next time you stop at your regular hotel for a cup of coffee or tea, you may have to pay a little more. Several hotels and tea stalls in Bengaluru have quietly increased the prices of coffee and tea by Rs 2-3.
At some hotels, where a cup of coffee or tea cost Rs 20-30 last month, customers are now paying around Rs 22-33. Smaller hotels and tea stalls have also revised their prices, with some increasing the cost from Rs 15 to Rs 16-18. The price of almond milk is currently around Rs 20-25. However, prices differ from one area to another.
Bengaluru hotels and tea stalls have increased coffee and tea prices by Rs 2-3, now costing Rs 22-33 or Rs 16-18, citing overall rising operating expenses like rent and utilities, rather than just sugar costs. The price hikes follow previous increases in snacks and meals.
According to Bangalore Hotel Owners Association President P.C. Rao, the increase is not necessarily because of sugar and jaggery prices alone.
“Last month, sugar prices had skyrocketed, but they have come down now. No hotel owner has increased the price of coffee or tea because of the increase in sugar and jaggery prices. It could be that prices have gone up slightly because of the increase in other expenses. Those who had not increased their prices earlier may have revised them now,” he said.
Hotel owners say running a business has become increasingly difficult as almost every operating cost has gone up. From rent and electricity bills to water charges and the cost of ingredients, hotels are dealing with higher expenses.
As a result, keeping the prices of food, snacks, coffee and tea unchanged is becoming difficult.
The prices of other ingredients and condiments used in hotels have also been rising. Around three months ago, several hotels increased the prices of snacks and meals, including masala dosa and idli-vada, following a rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices.
For regular customers, these repeated price increases are slowly making even a simple visit to a hotel more expensive.
Sugar prices had recently surged after the Central Government allowed sugar exports and reserved 20% of sugarcane for ethanol production.
The wholesale price of sugar is currently around Rs 55-60 per kg, while the retail price has touched Rs 80 per kg in some places. Jaggery is priced at around Rs 55 per kg.
Demand for jaggery has also increased amid a series of festivals during the month of Shravan, pushing prices higher.
With the prices of essential commodities already putting pressure on household budgets, even a small increase in the price of everyday beverages such as coffee and tea could add to monthly expenses.
