Last month, prices of many essential products such as vegetables and chicken were reported to have increased about two-fold or more.
It seems that the inflationary effect had been affecting to our beloved kopitiams and the prices of beverages will be subject to a price hike starting next month.
According to The Malaysian Insight, the prices of your usual beverages at traditional coffee shops will cost about 20 to 60 sens more, depending on the location of the coffee shop.
In the interview, the Malaysia Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors’ General Association president Wong Teu Hoon explain the business owners are forced to adjust their prices upwards because of the rising operating costs.
“Recently, many things have become more expensive – from condensed milk and evaporated milk needed to make coffee or tea, to the salaries of employees, rent and cooking gas.”
“So the increase in prices of beverages is just a subsidy for the industry. It is certainly not to make bigger profits.” he said.
Wong also said when the price of a cup of coffee is increased by 20 sen, the coffee shop only makes an extra RM20 if it manages to sell 100 cups a day.
“That amount is not enough to pay the salaries of foreign workers. At most, it is only a subsidy.”
He then revealed that the salary of a foreign worker has increased from RM1,200 to RM1,650 and the annual agency fee has shot up to RM9,500 from RM6,000, resulting in coffeeshops being understaffed.
Wong, who is also the president of the Malacca Coffee Shopkeepers’ Association, added that most coffeeshops in the state have not raised their prices in the past 6 years.
“We have been maintaining prices even with the increase in rent, utility charges and employees’ salaries.”
“This time, we are really forced to raise prices. Most businesses agree to start adjusting the beverage prices from January 1.” he said.
In the north, the Penang and Province Wellesley Cafe Association chairman Tan Kar Seong has also confirmed that some traditional coffee shops were hesitant to increase prices but were left with no choice.
“The price of everything is going up and no one knows what has gone wrong. The situation is really bad.”
While in the south, Johor Baru Coffee, Restaurant and Bar Operators Association chairman Tiong Kiu Wong said his association has yet to discuss price hikes and is still studying the situation.
He said that there are a handful of coffee shops in Johor Baru have raised the prices of their beverages, but it was relatively small, about 10%.
“They may have faced rent pressure, so they raised prices.” he was quoted saying.
What do you think about this price hike? Share your thoughts!
