Czech Lunch Prices are Rising, and Fewer People are Eating Out

According to Edenred, the average price for lunch in a restaurant it the n Czech Republic was 168 crowns in August 2022, 20 CZK more than a year ago.

The city with the most expensive meals in restaurants was Prague – with an average of 191 crowns. During the year, meals in the capital went up by 26 crowns. The most accessible meals in August were registered in Olomouc – 146 crowns.

The authors of the study note that lunch menus are the main source of income for most Czech restaurants.

Business owners complain that the coronavirus epidemic has changed the habits of residents. Another problem is that many regular customers have stopped going to restaurants at all. Due to higher inflation, they prefer to cook at home.

Moreover, alcohol consumption last year was the lowest since 1996, while consumption of rice and legumes was the highest since monitoring began in the country.

Beer consumption fell by six liters per person year-on-year, to an average of 140 liters per person. Wine consumption fell by half a liter to nearly 20 liters per person.

The Czech culinary sector currently relies almost entirely on locals and Czech visitors traveling within the country.

“Last summer, domestic tourism set a new high. “However, establishments that cater solely to tourists have mainly closed,” said Lubo Kastner, a co-owner of restaurants in the Pilsen.

People will also have to appreciate “their innkeeper,” according to Michal Voldich, head of the Czech-Moravian Association of Microbreweries.

“Only the most powerful ‘heroes’ will survive. In the event that they take the roles that their former employees held, most restaurateurs rely on their finances, most loyal regulars, and their own talent.”

However, pubs and restaurants play an important role in the lives of local residents.

“Pubs and breweries have an unmistakable historical presence,” added Voldich, who believes pubs and breweries bring a community together and are essential components of social life.

“To say it is our national intellectual wealth is not an exaggeration.”

Below the changes in the average cost of lunch menus in Czech restaurants in recent years: