Restaurants hike meal prices to compensate for lockdown losses

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Several city restaurants have increased the cost of meals to compensate for inactivity for the last two months because of the nationwide lockdown.

Our reporter selected restaurants in Ntinda, Bugoloobi, Wandegeya and Kalerwe among others where the owners claimed that they had to revise the cost of meals to cover some gaps such as rent, salary and refurbishment.

At Alloy food zone restaurant in Kalerwe, a plate of all foods with beans now costs Shillings 7000 up from Shillings 3500.

Leticia Nakinga, the proprietor Alloy food zone restaurant says she has got to pay rent worth Shillings 9 million which prompted her to hike the food prices.

Annet Ameso, the secretary Trader’s pride restaurant behind South wing market in Wandegeya says they revised the menu and increased the prices of their meals by Shillings 2000.

Hussein Wasswa, the proprietor Twin’s foods restaurant in Bugoloobi says when they returned from the lockdown, they found their utensils such as plates and cups destroyed by rats and cockroaches and had no option but to double the cost of their meals.

“The restaurant needs to be refurbished and I have no other side incomes.”

Sarah Nalweyiso, a waitress at Good choice restaurant in Ntinda told our reporter that she found a new menu with revised prices by the time she returned from the lockdown.

Ritah Namugenyi, who our reporter found eating at Trader’s pride restaurant said she was at first shocked by the revised prices of the meal on the menu but couldn’t go any further without eating.

Alex Kitaka, another customer in various city restaurants wonders why the high cost of meals yet food prices are very low.

He cited an example of a bunch of banana which is going for as low as Shillings 8000, a white polythene paper bag full of tomatoes Shillings 1000, onions Shillings 1000 and a sack of sweet potatoes Shillings 10,000 among others.

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