The number of restaurants on the Czech market fell by two percent year-on-year last year. Most establishments declined in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, while Moravia grew stronger. This is according to an analysis by Makro, which was presented in Prague today by marketing director Lenka Slezáková. According to her, the number of visitors to restaurants also dropped slightly, by one percent. She added that people are saving more in restaurants, ordering cheaper meals or skipping appetizers and desserts.
The number of restaurants in Prague remained stable last year compared to 2022, as did the number of visitors, Slezáková said. Besides the fact that people are more likely to buy only the main dish, the interest in takeaway food is also growing. Therefore, more successful businesses are those that offer customers a wide choice and are able to respond to the demand for cheaper meals, she said. Restaurants are most interested in burgers, chicken tenders and fried cheese, according to Makro.
About 57 percent of Makro’s wholesale customers are responding to the price hikes by buying cheaper ingredients, according to Slezakova. Fifty-four per cent of establishments have increased prices and 35 per cent are saving on costs. Makro’s analysis is based on data from Dotykačka, DataServis, SharpGrid, the Czech Statistical Office and its own survey.
Prices in Czech restaurants, bars, clubs or bistros increased by 34 percent from December 2019 to the end of last year. Compared to January last year, prices rose by 18 percent in December 2023, Dotykačka previously reported. For the entire foodservice industry last year, sales were up three per cent compared to 2022. However, for many businesses, this means a rather downward trend in real prices, given the year-long high inflation, said Lubos Kastner of the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
Source: Makro and CTK
