Your morning blues may yet linger after having your favourite cuppa at your favourite hangout. Within days of the hike in the price of Nandini milk, several darshinis and hotels across the city have increased the price of coffee and other milk-based beverages and food items. Others are expected to follow suit by this weekend.
The increase apropos of the beverages is in the range of Re. 1 to Rs. 2. Similarly, curd rice and curd vada are dearer by Rs. 2 to Rs. 4. Prices of milk-based sweet products have also risen.
Last Sunday, the Karnataka Milk Producers Cooperative Federation upped the price of its toned milk by Rs. 3 to Rs. 24 a litre, and curd by Rs. 4 to Rs. 30 a litre.
“Those who have to change the price on their menu cards have postponed the price hike while darshinis and small hotels have effected the changes,” Bruhat Bangalore Hotel Owners Association president Vasudev Adiga told The Hindu . The last time prices were hiked on milk-based products was a year ago, he said.
Other factors
Defending the hike, Mr. Adiga said hotels have been paying Rs. l20 more for a commercial LPG cylinder in the last one month alone. Besides, overheads such as rent, labour cost and maintenance have become costlier in the recent months.
It is not only the hotels that have increased the price. Several wayside tea stalls are charging an extra rupee per cup.
Kneejerk reaction
Acknowledging that the milk price hike had had an effect on his prices, Narasappaiah, who runs Indra Darshini off Bhagwan Mahaveer Road, said that he had increased coffee and tea price by a rupee.
He observed a fall in the number of cups being sold after the hike.
“It will take another two or three months for business to pick up again,” he said.
