City cafes and restaurants have raised food prices by 10 to 15% as a result of the ban on single-use plastic and the switch to paper and wooden disposable cutlery.
Industry sources claim that after replacing single-use plastic less than 75 microns, cafes and restaurants will see an increase in input costs of 15 to 30 percent.
When contacted, Hotels and Café, they said, “We were already bearing the cost inflation because of the hike in food materials and fuel. With the ban of single-use plastic we have to replace even the smallest item with paper-made or wooden products like straws, plates etc.
They added, “On the other hand there are issues of paper supply in the industry. Because of all these reasons we have to increase our selling cost by around 10 percent as of now.”
There are around 10,000-odd restaurants and hotels in Ahmedabad.
Hotels and Restaurants’ Association (HRA), Gujarat, president Narendra Somani said, “The input cost has gone up by 10 to 15 percent for all restaurants and cafes. This indeed has forced the industry to increase the selling price of the food products by at least 10 percent.”
He added, “Since the ban of single-use plastic has been implemented across the country, there is a demand-supply gap as of now for paper-made and wooden cutlery. But with the passing of time things should be fine.”
Even ‘chai shops’ in Ahmedabad are forced to increase the price of ‘cutting chai’.
There are also cases where customers are demanding carry bags. This puts a lot of pressure on the restaurants, cafes and bakeries.