BHUBANESWAR: Rise in price of vegetables has a direct and adverse effect on food business. But since raising prices of meals may lead to loss of loyal customers, eateries in the city are instead cutting down on vegetables used in dishes.
The subtle change is visible in popular dishes like dosa, dahibara aloodam and chaat mostly sold by street vendors. Owing to a sudden and steep hike in price of potato, the vendors have cut down on the vegetable. Potato at present is being sold for Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg in the city. Similar is the plight of vegetarian thalis, popular among office goers and students. The number of dishes in the thalis, sold anywhere between Rs 70 and Rs 100, has been reduced. The strategy works well as it neither affects customers nor the eatery owners.
Durlabh Bastia, owner of a small hotel in Mancheswar, said most of the vegetarian dishes served in a regular thali at his hotel now contain legumes and soya chunks. He said after vegetable prices soared, his and some other hotels in the area relied on potatoes but now even the price of the otherwise affordable commodity has gone up substantially. “We are forced to reduce number of items made with vegetables in our thali as revising its price will affect our business further,” he said. Jagannath Sahoo, a dahibara vendor from Jayadev Vihar area said, he has reduced the quantity of ‘aloodum’ served with the dish.
“It is too difficult now to sell a plate of dahibara and aloodum at Rs 30 when potato is priced Rs 50 per kg. Though we haven’t increased the price of dahibara, we have reduced the quantity of aloodum served in it,” he said.
Similar is the case with other dahibara and chaat vendors. Bhagaban Sahoo, a dahibara vendor near PMG road, said he has stopped selling the popular dish owing to rise in price of vegetables. He is waiting for the prices to drop to resume his business.
Some hotels and restaurant owners, however, said they have decided to keep the prices of their dishes and food items unchanged with the hope that thee loss will be recovered once vegetable prices drop in future. “We value our customers and respect their preferences. Accordingly we have kept the quantity and price of our food items including dosa and other snacks unchanged,” said Pradipta Kumar Barik of Sriyaram Sweets and Dry Fruits in Jharpada.
