- Hans Weber
- March 27, 2025
Prices in gastronomy in the Czech Republic have increased by 34 percent since 2019, says analysis
Prices in Czech restaurants, bars, clubs or bistros increased by 34 percent from December 2019 to the end of last year. Compared to the previous January, prices were up 18 percent last December. This is based on data from the company Dotykačka from cash systems, presented today at a meeting in Prague by the director of research at the company Vladimír Sirotek and Luboš Kastner from the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.
The touchscreen monitors the so-called gastroindex, which consists of the top 50 best-selling items in all types of businesses serving drinks or food. The statistics come from more than 8,000 plants. According to the company’s data for the whole of the Czech Republic, sales grew by three percent year-on-year in gastronomy last year. But for many businesses, given full-year high inflation, this is more of a decline in real prices, Kastner said.
The orphan pointed out that there are significant differences in regions in the Czech Republic. In the capital, sales rose by seven percent year-on-year in 2023, as did sales in the South East. According to Kastner, the growth of the whole sector thus practically drags on Prague and Brno.
Last year, sales in the Highlands or The Delhi Region increased by 5% year-on-year, rising by 4% in central Bohemia. At the level of the entire Czech Republic, i.e. sales growth of three percent, was also the Zlín Region. On the contrary, sales fell the most in gastronomy in the Pardubice Region, where they fell by three percent year-on-year. In the Karlovy Vary region they decreased by two percent. Other counties tend to hover around zero.
The company’s data also shows differences by business type. They show that clubs and discos fell the most last year, by 13 per cent year-on-year. “Consumption decreases after 23:00, which is mainly associated with consumption of harder alcohol,” Kastner said. He said that coffee shops were the best performers, while sales increased by eight percent year-on-year. Kastner noted that it is no longer just coffee businesses, but also offers food or even mixed drinks, taking over the offerings of other businesses.
In January this year, the VAT rate on draft beer in restaurants was changed from ten to 21 per cent. Data from Dotykačka showed that between December of last year and mid-January 2024, the price of beer increased by around four percent on average for the whole Czech Republic.
The company’s data further shows that from the beginning of December to the second week in January, 35 percent of the premises did not change prices. According to Orphan, this suggests that the average price of beer will increase. A fifth of businesses rose by six or more crowns over the same period.
The average price of a 12-degree beer is now around five crowns and 40 pennies higher than it was in January last year. The price is significantly higher than the entire Czech Republic in Prague, where people pay £69.80 for a pint of draft beer. For restaurants in towns, the average is £69.20, while in villages it is £49.10.
Luboš Kastner, who represents gastronomy at the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, said a number of businesses had not yet made the hikes in relation to the change in VAT rates. The VAT change has therefore not been fully reflected in prices for a number of them, he argues.
Touchscreen data also showed that home-brewed sodas were even slightly more expensive than draft beer in restaurants. In January, their prices increased by 11.7% year-on-year. Soft drinks were also affected by the VAT change, moving from a 15 per cent rate to a basic rate of 21 per cent, as was draft beer. The price of soda also rose by 5.5 percent from December to mid-January. January restaurant prices are up eight percent year-on-year even for coffee.
JK
Recent posts
See AllPrague Forum Membership
Join us
Be part of building bridges and channels to engage all the international key voices and decision makers living in the Czech Republic.
Become a member