<p>Food prices have gone up by at least 5% at many restaurants in Bengaluru due to the hike in the prices of LPG and other items.</p>.<p>Restaurant owners say while an annual price revision is usually effected at the start of the financial year, the crisis has hastened and aggravated it this time. </p>.Bengaluru: Auto LPG crisis may push drivers' lives off balance.<p>“Many restaurants usually hike the prices at the beginning of the financial year. However, this year, the price revision may be a little more because of the crisis. Those who were raising the prices by 5% might have made it 8%,” said P C Rao from the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA).</p>.<p>However, he noted that the price hikes have remained well within 10% to ensure that the customers are not burdened. “The crisis has also affected the spending ability of the people as many industries are also seeing a slowdown in production. As it is footfall has reduced and we do not want to burden the customers also,” Rao said.</p>.<p>Despite an increase in the supply of commercial gas cylinders, many small hotels still struggle to get them because many sourced their cylinders from sub-vendors. “We needed one cylinder every two days. Now, though we request, we hardly get a cylinder once every three days. Hence, we have remained shut,” said Prakash K, owner of a small Darshini in Yelahanka.</p>.<p>However, many bigger restaurants have stabilised and reopened their full menus. “Now, we have started receiving close to 60% of our demand. We use these cylinders mostly for making dose and have deployed alternate methods such as induction stoves and firewood to prepare the rest of the items. While we did cut down on our menu and working hours initially, now we have returned to normalcy,” said Arun Adiga from the Vidyarthi Bhavan.</p>.<p>Dearer delicacies (approximately 5%-10% depending on the hotel) l Dosa Rs 3- Rs 15 l Idli Rs 3- Rs 10 l Vada Rs 4- Rs 10 l Rice items Rs 5- Rs 15 l Coffee/Tea Rs 2- Rs 5</p>.<p>Alternative energy sources to stay The crisis has pushed the hoteliers to explore alternative energy sources for cooking methods and many of these are likely to stay even after the LPG supply regularises. “We have realised that depending on one source to run our kitchens is a bad idea. Hence we will continue to use multiple sources based on operating costs even after supply returns to normal” said Arun Adiga. While induction stoves have been the most used alternative firewood too has gained prominence. Close to 10% hotels in city have already transitioned to use induction-based stoves for dosa Rao said. “We are urging all our members to use alternative methods. For instance all kitchens in Bengaluru International Airport use only induction cooktops owing to safety concerns. This can be replicated across the city” Rao said.</p>
<p>Food prices have gone up by at least 5% at many restaurants in Bengaluru due to the hike in the prices of LPG and other items.</p>.<p>Restaurant owners say while an annual price revision is usually effected at the start of the financial year, the crisis has hastened and aggravated it this time. </p>.Bengaluru: Auto LPG crisis may push drivers' lives off balance.<p>“Many restaurants usually hike the prices at the beginning of the financial year. However, this year, the price revision may be a little more because of the crisis. Those who were raising the prices by 5% might have made it 8%,” said P C Rao from the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA).</p>.<p>However, he noted that the price hikes have remained well within 10% to ensure that the customers are not burdened. “The crisis has also affected the spending ability of the people as many industries are also seeing a slowdown in production. As it is footfall has reduced and we do not want to burden the customers also,” Rao said.</p>.<p>Despite an increase in the supply of commercial gas cylinders, many small hotels still struggle to get them because many sourced their cylinders from sub-vendors. “We needed one cylinder every two days. Now, though we request, we hardly get a cylinder once every three days. Hence, we have remained shut,” said Prakash K, owner of a small Darshini in Yelahanka.</p>.<p>However, many bigger restaurants have stabilised and reopened their full menus. “Now, we have started receiving close to 60% of our demand. We use these cylinders mostly for making dose and have deployed alternate methods such as induction stoves and firewood to prepare the rest of the items. While we did cut down on our menu and working hours initially, now we have returned to normalcy,” said Arun Adiga from the Vidyarthi Bhavan.</p>.<p>Dearer delicacies (approximately 5%-10% depending on the hotel) l Dosa Rs 3- Rs 15 l Idli Rs 3- Rs 10 l Vada Rs 4- Rs 10 l Rice items Rs 5- Rs 15 l Coffee/Tea Rs 2- Rs 5</p>.<p>Alternative energy sources to stay The crisis has pushed the hoteliers to explore alternative energy sources for cooking methods and many of these are likely to stay even after the LPG supply regularises. “We have realised that depending on one source to run our kitchens is a bad idea. Hence we will continue to use multiple sources based on operating costs even after supply returns to normal” said Arun Adiga. While induction stoves have been the most used alternative firewood too has gained prominence. Close to 10% hotels in city have already transitioned to use induction-based stoves for dosa Rao said. “We are urging all our members to use alternative methods. For instance all kitchens in Bengaluru International Airport use only induction cooktops owing to safety concerns. This can be replicated across the city” Rao said.</p>