Fast food price hikes hard to swallow

PRICE HIKES: KFC, Pizza Hut and Hardees all registered an average increase of around 10% over the past month, said UAE daily Gulf News. (Getty Images)

Fast food chains in the UAE have hiked prices by up to 30% over recent months prompting calls for a control mechanism to curb further increases, it was reported on Monday.

According to UAE daily Gulf News fast food prices have risen by an overall average 14% within the past two months.

KFC, Pizza Hut and Hardees all registered an average increase of around 10% over the last month, while Burger King increased prices between 15-30%.

A meal with two pieces of chicken at Southern Fried Chicken increased by an average of 18% over six months from 9 to 12 dirhams, the newspaper found.

McDonald’s did not raise prices during the same period, but was considering its options in the face of global price increases managing director Rafik Fakeh told Gulf News.

Emirati Ahmad Abdullah told the newspaper: “There must be a mechanism to ensure the price rise is in accordance with the rise in cost. Otherwise businesses will cash in on general inflation to make unreasonable profits.”

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USER COMMENTS (3 COMMENTS)

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NO MORE "BHEL-PURI" OR "TIKKAS"!!
Posted by RAJENDRA ANEJA, DUBAI, UAE on 11 March 2008 at 11:59 UAE time


I guess this is the time, to cut down, on all non-essential foods and become thin and lean! But, what a way to do it, because prices are high and I cannot afford a a hamburger or pizza or "tikkas" or "pav-bhaji" or a "bhel-puri" in the Middle East!! Soon, these everyday, anytime snacks will be classified as "luxury foods".

Fast food prices ...
Posted by Thomas on 11 March 2008 at 11:07 UAE time


This is a good time to consider switching to healthier alternatives. Keep yourself lean and your wallet fat!

Fast food price hikes hard to swallow
Posted by Lee, Dubai, UAE on 11 March 2008 at 09:40 UAE time


Fast food is a "non-essential" item. It is not like electricity which we all require. If DEWA was increasing prices by up to 30% then I would agree with Mr. Abdullah's comments that "There must be a mechanism to ensure the price rise is in accordance with the rise in costs". I could not disagree more with the idea that someone should somehow regulate fast food restaurant pricing. No one has to eat in fast food restaurants. This is a choice. If customers do not like the prices then they should eat elsewhere. Restaurants will realize they are losing business after a few weeks when they see their sales decline. And if the sales do not decline then maybe the prices are no so high that customers will not dine in these restaurants. Who is to say the price increases are not warranted? At the end of the day if a burger or box of chicken costs AED 100 how many of us would buy it? I believe for non-essential items like fast food restaurant purchasing, we should let Capitalism work. If customers do not want to pay the higher prices they will eat elsewhere.

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