Excessive profits in the restaurant sector? Never.
A new report from Failte Ireland, commissioned from consultants Howarth Bastow Charleton, claims that the relatively high cost of eating out in Ireland is due to input costs. It states that raw materials are more expensive, as are labour costs, VAT and excise, and utility and operational costs. Driving down costs in other sectors, it says, is essential for the restaurant trade to remain competitive.
Obviously, Failte Ireland have an interest in persuading people that Ireland is not a rip-off, but the report seems believable and trustworthy. Still, I’m sure we’ve all experiences of being ridiculously overcharged, especially in those few stragglers who haven’t woken up to economic reality.
What do you think? Does the Failte Ireland report assauge your anger at those restaurant rip-off experiences, or are some places just utter chancers?