As of: February 25, 2024, 4:56 a.m
By: Nico Reiter
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Press
Split
Price increases and the abolition of the VAT reduction are driving up restaurant prices.
This has an impact on the consumer behavior of Germans.
Nuremberg – Although the VAT reduction has so far kept restaurant prices within reasonable limits, prices have increased over the last few years.
This has been no longer applicable since January 1, 2024.
The regular VAT rate of 19 percent now applies again to all businesses in the catering industry.
Customers will notice this change at the latest when they receive their invoice.
VAT reduction no longer applies – price increase passed on to customers
The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) complains that this price increase has to be passed on 1:1 to the guests because there is a lack of reserves. “This hits normal and low-income earners particularly hard,” says President Guido Zöllick
at
chip.de.
With an increase of 19 percent, a schnitzel would no longer cost an average of 18 euros as in the previous year, but would now cost 21.42 euros.
Seats remain free - survey shows decline in restaurant visits (symbolic image) © Martin Siepmann/Imago
Restaurateurs are worried by these price increases.
Christian Bär, restaurant owner and deputy district chairman of Dehoga, has raised his prices by “only” 15 percent.
But he also feels the effects.
In January 2024 he had already made five to ten percent less sales than in the previous months.
Visits would decrease and guests would be angry about the rising prices.
Survey confirms: Germans are reducing restaurant visits due to price increases
The elimination of VAT and the resulting price increase in restaurants shows its effects on German consumer behavior.
This is confirmed by a survey by the Nuremberg Society for Consumer Research.
In January 2024, i.e. directly after the price increase, a total of 2024 participants aged 18 to 74 were asked about how often they eat out.
The survey was commissioned by the Bavarian Center for Tourism.
The results show a clear trend: the majority of Germans are less likely to go to a restaurant because of the increased prices.
This is stated by 52 percent, or more than half of those surveyed.
More than half of the participants also confirmed that the price increase was a reason for the decrease in visits.
Nevertheless, there is no cooking at home.
Almost a quarter of those surveyed still eat out at least once a week.
28 percent say they do this at least once a month.
By the way, the food that people prefer to order is Italian at 64 percent, closely followed by regional food. A full 26 percent say they never or almost never go to a restaurant.
Half of them give the reason that they couldn't afford it.
(no with dpa)