HIGHER PRICES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 22 November 1939, Page 3

HIGHER PRICES

RESTAURANT MEALS CHANGE LIKELY IN CITY MEETING GROWING COSTS An early increase in the price of restaurant meals is likely in Auckland, Proprietors of restaurants and tea-rooms said this week that owing to higher costs, especially since t ticoutbreak of war, their margin of profit had been greatly reduced and it was essential that they should raise their charges. “At the present time ' meals in Auckland restaurants are cheaper than anywhere else in New Zealand and an increase in price is more than justified,” said one man. Some weeks ago a number of Auckland restaurants had raised the price of a threecourse meal by one penny to Is Id, but that was not enough to meet existing conditions and a further increase to Is 9ri was likely. The latter price, he said, would bring Auckland charges in line with those in Wellington. Where meat and vegetables were concerned costs had increased tremendously, he added. Grocery lines needed for preparing meals had also gone up, and restaurants were particularly affected by increases in such commodities as ten, coffee, sugar and jam. As far as could be learned no immediate increase is proposed in the prices of morning and afternoon tefis ahd suppers. In this respect, however, a city tearoom with n large turnover took individual action by increasing the price of such items a:< sandwiches, buns, cakes and pies.