Compared to last June, lunches became more expensive last month by 10.1 to an average of 160.2 crowns. This results from a survey by Edenred. But the increase in prices in restaurants was actually even higher – according to the Czech Statistical Office, the prices of pub delicacies rose by 23.5 percent year-on-year! And more and more Czechs have to give up visiting pubs at lunchtime. Or they choose increasingly cheaper meals, deny themselves drinks or salads, don’t drink coffee after lunch and also visit cheaper restaurants at lunchtime.
“We therefore go out for lunch less often, and if we do, we choose meals mainly based on price. It’s the exact opposite of what we’ve gotten used to in recent years, when purchasing power has grown,” said Aneta Martišková from Edenred.
Price decides
Its data is also confirmed by the analysis of the company BC21. When choosing a restaurant for lunch, 48 percent of Czech employees decide based on price. Due to rising prices, 54 percent of people now eat lunch in restaurants less often than before the pandemic in 2019. How much money they pay for lunch is not important to only about a quarter of employees. On the contrary, eight percent of people said that due to a lack of finances they have to skip lunch at a restaurant at least sometimes. When choosing a restaurant for lunch, a third of people consider the proximity of the business and speed of service important, 27 percent decide based on the quality and taste of the food, and for a quarter the availability of discounted lunch offers is important.
Price of lunches in June
| city | average price |
| Prague | CZK 179.10 |
| Brno | CZK 170.70 |
| Pilsen | CZK 167.60 |
| Czech Budejovice | CZK 164.10 |
| The average of the Czech Republic | CZK 160.20 |
| Pardubice | CZK 159.70 |
| Liberec | CZK 159.10 |
| Hradec Králové | CZK 158.80 |
| Ostrava | CZK 157.40 |
| Ustli nad Labem | CZK 148.90 |
| Zlin | CZK 148.10 |
| Carlsbad | CZK 147.20 |
| Jihlava | CZK 144.50 |
| Olomouc | CZK 143.30 |