How Expensive Doner Kebab Has Become

Döner is a fast, low cost meal for in between meals – obtainable for a couple of euros. The nationwide availability and the low costs have made it one of many favourite quick meals dishes of the Germans. However the days of the three-euro doner kebab are over. Restaurateurs are battling excessive inflation and are compelled to lift their costs.

Price-covering solely from 9 euros?

“If we wished to promote the doner kebab to cowl prices, we must elevate the worth to at the very least 9 euros,” says Ömer Gülec. He runs a kebab store in Frankfurt am Most important together with his brother and needed to elevate the worth of his kebab as soon as earlier than in February.

A lot of his prospects might perceive the urgently wanted step in direction of larger costs. However: “For some prospects, the doner kebab is a staple that mustn’t value greater than six euros.” So he has to calculate properly in order that prospects don’t instantly keep away as a result of the costs are too excessive.

Notably robust meals worth will increase

Many restaurateurs all through Germany are like Ömer Gülec: they’re affected by excessive inflation. In February this yr, client costs have been 8.7 p.c larger than a yr earlier. Along with the power costs, the excessive buy costs for meals are additionally an issue for the house owners of the kebab outlets. “Tomato costs alone have risen by 65 p.c,” says Gülec.

The elevated buy costs should not simply restricted to particular person merchandise: information from the Federal Statistical Workplace present that the costs for grain merchandise in February 2023 have been 24.3 p.c larger than a yr in the past. Greens value round 20 p.c extra, beef and veal are round 18 p.c dearer.

If you happen to put these worth will increase in relation to general inflation, it turns into clear that meals costs have risen rather more sharply over the yr than the costs of different merchandise.

The minimal wage additionally performs a job

“We’re at present in a scenario wherein the warfare in Ukraine specifically has led to a major enhance in lots of costs – together with when importing items,” explains Karsten Sandhop, a marketing consultant on the Federal Statistical Workplace. In keeping with the knowledgeable, meals is especially affected: “On the one hand, supply bottlenecks play a job right here, which result in a scarcity of provide and thus to rising costs.”

In keeping with Sandhop, there are additionally personnel prices: “In October 2022, the minimal wage in Germany was raised to 12 euros. In fact, these prices are additionally handed on to the purchasers.”

The place the doner kebab is costliest

The excessive power prices are a selected burden for restaurateurs like Ömer Gülec: As a result of the meals that’s processed into dishes in eating places and snack bars needs to be cooked and first saved within the chilly room. And on the Gülecs, like all different kebab store house owners on this nation, the kebab spit turns all day – an immense value driver.

Throughout Germany, the house owners of kebab outlets are subsequently reacting and elevating their costs: In keeping with figures from the Lieferando supply service, a kebab in Dresden now prices 6.40 euros, whereas in Frankfurt am Most important the common worth has risen to 7.80 euros. In Munich, a median of seven.98 euros is charged for a doner kebab.

The most affordable doner kebab in Germany is in Bremen. The common worth there may be 6.17 euros. Within the “kebab capital” of Berlin, the common worth is 7.08 euros.

Costs quickly at ten euros?

Customers of web platforms like Instagram have already known as for a “kebab worth brake” from the federal authorities. She reacted to offended customers: “The federal authorities can also be serving to small entrepreneurs with the power worth brakes. Just like the kebab store. Whether or not the kebab shall be cheaper consequently? That can’t but be mentioned for positive.”

Ömer Gülec has a transparent reply to this: “The power worth brakes that have been handed by the federal authorities are at present not making certain that our prospects are relieved.” If inflation continues to stay at such a excessive stage, he should make the doner kebab much more costly: “If costs proceed to rise as a lot as this for at the very least six months, then the kebab costs will scratch the ten-euro mark all over the place.” Even the doner kebab for lower than 5 euros might quickly be troublesome to search out.