Mysuru: While the LPG supply crisis has eased, soaring fuel and input costs continue to force many hotels across Mysuru to operate with reduced menus. Hotel owners say commercial LPG prices remain too high to bring back labour- and fuel-intensive dishes that were dropped during the peak of the West Asia conflict.Popular items such as parotas, chapatis and rotis are still absent from the menus of many eateries. Several establishments have also discontinued speciality beverages, limiting their offerings to regular tea and coffee to cut fuel consumption and operating costs.“Though LPG supply has normalised, prices remain high. We are continuing with a limited menu to keep expenses under control,” said a hotel owner in Kuvempu Nagar. He added that higher transportation costs, driven by rising diesel prices, have increased the cost of almost all commodities.According to Hotels Owners’ Association president C. Narayana Gowda, a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder that cost around Rs 1,750 before the West Asia conflict rose to Rs 3,178 during the crisis. Though prices have eased slightly, the current rate remains only about Rs 177 below the peak, offering little relief to the hospitality sector.Commodity prices have increased by 10% to 15% due to higher fuel costs, making it difficult for hotels to restore full menus without raising prices, he said.To reduce operating expenses, an increasing number of hotels have switched to firewood for cooking. “Firewood worth Rs 1,000 can support food preparation equivalent to nearly two commercial LPG cylinders, making it a more economical option,” Gowda said, warning that the trend could add to environmental concerns.Egg prices soar againHotel owners are also grappling with rising egg prices. Wholesale rates have climbed to around Rs 100 for 14 eggs, compared to Rs 72-80 during the peak of the West Asia conflict. According to National Egg Coordination Committee data, 100 eggs now cost Rs 740 in Mysuru against Rs 725 in Bengaluru. Prices had fallen to as low as Rs 447 during the crisis.
