Bengaluru: Eating out in the city is set to become costlier, with restaurant bills likely to rise by 3% to 10% as hotels grapple with rising LPG costs and supply shortages. Several small and mid-sized eateries have already increased menu prices over the past few days to stay afloat.An eatery owner from VV Puram, operating since 2010, said, “Many hoteliers are forced to buy it on the black market, even though it’s not something we want to admit. Small vendors are struggling — prices of items like dosa and manchurian have gone up by around Rs 30. Earlier, I used to get four cylinders, now I get only one, that too at a very high price. When we cannot add separate service or gas charges, we have no option but to hike menu prices.“A small Udupi restaurant owner in Madiwala said, “We require at least three cylinders a day, but currently we are hardly getting one. So, we increased prices by Rs 10 per plate across dishes to manage expenses. At some point, we can no longer absorb the burden, and this was the minimum hike possible.”Customers are already feeling the pinch. Dakshinya P, a resident of Mahadevapura, said, “I usually eat at a place near my office. The chicken biryani there used to cost Rs 150 per plate, but now it’s Rs 180. When I asked them why, they said it’s because of LPG prices.”Subramanya Holla, president of the Bangalore Hotel Association, said, “Typically, prices may go up anywhere between 3% and 10%, though the exact extent is uncertain. Given the sharp rise in gas prices — nearly Rs 400 in the past month — it’s certain there will be at least a 3% increase. Additionally, some commodities like edible oil and pulses have also become costlier, which may or may not further impact the hike.”He added the sector is currently operating at around 80% capacity, with many hotels unable to function fully due to high gas costs. “While guidelines say hotels cannot levy separate LPG or service charges, there are differing views within the industry on implementation,” he said.However, larger establishments indicated that price revisions are not entirely linked to the current crisis. Hemamalini Maiya, managing partner at Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, said, “Every year on April 1, we revise prices based on labour and market conditions. This year too, we have increased prices slightly due to labour costs and other factors, but it is not related to LPG issues.”Ananth Narayan, head of the NRAI Bengaluru chapter, said price hikes remain limited. “Most mid-sized and larger establishments have consciously absorbed these increases to avoid impacting customer demand,” he said.Industry estimates suggest that around 30% to 35% of LPG supply has been restored, with 10,000 to 15,000 cylinders being supplied daily in Bengaluru.
