The cost of living crisis has meant many Australians are cutting back on eating out because they can’t afford that small luxury. I’ve even been warned that soaring grocery prices could soon mean a main meal at a restaurant could cost $60.
But while people can dine like monarchs by visiting Melbourne’s Italian cafes, prices appear to be stuck at early 2000s levels. It’s hard to imagine paying only $7 for a pizza or $6 for a glass of wine, but that’s what you get at Cafe Perri.
Owner Jimmy Perry said: Yahoo Finance He feels the pressure of rising food prices, but he wants his customers to escape from it.
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“When a customer comes to me, I want to turn things around,” he said.
“I want them to get cheaper and better quality. That’s the motto: cheaper and best quality.”
The highest price for a large pizza at Cafe Perri is $17, but the most expensive pasta is only $15.
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His small pizzas cost between $7 and $8.50, slightly more expensive than the frozen pizzas you buy at Coles or Woolworths.
Despite the opinion that the average cup of coffee in Australia can cost as much as $6, you can get it for half that price at Jimmy’s Cafe. An espresso is only $2.50, and a to-go latte or cappuccino is only $3.
Jimmy said it’s all about making customers feel like they don’t have to go out on a limb to enjoy cooking outside of their own kitchen.
“We know that by the end of the day, we can make more money and more profit, but what’s left is a good experience for the customer, so they feel like the price was good,” he said. said. Yahoo Finance.
He said he keeps his prices low because customers are “amazed” that they can get an entire meal for less than $20.
“If the public supports us, we can support maintaining these prices,” he said.
“This place is busy, no wonder.”
He clearly has the public’s support, and people praise him for not trying to squeeze out customers.
“No wonder places like this get so crowded that you have to turn people away,” one person wrote. “Too often we see businesses putting customers in their cars, so when we see places that are keeping their integrity and keeping their prices as low as possible, it’s worth doing all the business they can handle. To do.”
Another said: “I don’t understand why it’s so cheap. I own another local business in this area and there’s no way they’re going to be operating at these prices.”
A third added: “So cheap. I eat there almost every day. You can’t even make pasta at home for $11.”
Asked how he was able to keep prices so low, Jimmy said his team worked “very hard” to keep margins “in the right direction.” He said customers keep coming back because he doesn’t skimp on the quality of his food and makes his pizzas and pasta in a “unique” way.
His cafe has dozens of five-star reviews on Google, with many calling it a “hidden gem” with “amazing hospitality.”
Disastrous times for the hospitality industry
While Australians endure the hardship of more expensive groceries, establishments such as restaurants, cafes and pubs are also suffering.
Melbourne chef Teej Ezzard has had to close his restaurant Ginger Boy after nearly 20 years.
He gave a stark warning that the hospitality industry is in crisis and many businesses will not be able to stay open without raising prices.
“Wages have gone up, electricity, gas and amenities have all gone up, but the menu hasn’t gone up,” he said. 9 news.
He said the price of an entree could soon reach $50, while the restaurant’s other staples could rise to $60.
“You pay for what you get…and I think…that’s what the cost is about,” he added.
A recent Finder survey found half of Australians (51%) are eating out and drinking less, and more than a third (36%) are going out to the movies, sports matches, concerts and other events less often. I found it to be limiting.
Retail spending has also plummeted this year as Australians tighten their budgets as they struggle with rising prices. New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows retail spending fell 0.4% in March, well below the 0.2% rise expected by economists.
Spending in March was $151 million lower than the previous month. In seasonally adjusted figures, total sales were $35.7 billion.
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