Diners eating out can expect to pay a little more this year, according to a survey of Quebec restaurant owners. It’s the result of several factors that are putting pressure on an industry with small margins, according to Tyrone Ho, the president of EconoLease, which commissioned the nationwide survey in partnership with polling company Leger. “Food and beverage have gone up, occupancy has gone up, labor’s gone up, and then the more recent kind of threat is the tariffs,” said Ho. He said tariffs are affecting everything from the cost of fixing kitchen equipment to wages and supplies, leading restaurateurs to make the difficult choice and pass along the costs to consumers. In Quebec, the survey found 78 per cent of restaurateurs raised their menu prices in the last year and 53 per cent are planning to do so again this year. “It’s really the last thing, generally they want to do,” said Ho. “Because of that balancing act of you know, having to be balance their own books, but also, being able to give the consumer something at a reasonable price.” Petros Westmount owner Gennaro Dranias said they’ve tried to do everything they can not to raise their menu prices. “You don’t want to cut corners or kind of cut your quality and ruin your brand,” he said. “So you just kind of ride it out, hoping that things will kind of get a bit better or get a bit creative with menus for groups that are at a price that kind of works for the customer, but also works for the restaurant as well.” His father, Ted, founder of the Petros Restaurant chain, said he’s noticed some other restaurants have resorted to shrinkflation, something unthinkable for a Greek restaurant, known for offering generous portions. “I go to certain restaurants, and you cut a potato in six, instead of cutting it in four,” Dranias said. “It’s 20 per cent. Small margins.” The Dranias’ have looked to other ways to cut costs, such as shopping daily for produce and adjusting their menu accordingly. They’ve also cut waste and added menu options to appeal to families. “We’re lucky enough that we are busy and that we’ve only had to change our food costs once this year. We don’t plan on changing it again, we just plan on maybe bringing more items that are, better for the customer and better for us as well,” Gennaro Dranias said. The restaurant is also bring your own wine, which Dranias said gives customers a greater sense of value when they dine out. He said it also makes it appealing for family events. “We do a lot of baptisms, engagements, weddings, birthdays because we’re bring your own wine,” he said. “The customer kind of knows what the price is going in.”
