Deep-frying becomes extremely expensive, snack bars cry out for help
Energy prices are going through the roof, more or less, and because of the war in Ukraine, they will only continue to rise. For snack bars, the energy bill has become almost unaffordable, says Frans van Rooij, director of the Association of Professional Fryers (ProFri). ‘If no support is provided, I’m afraid many businesses will not survive this.’
They barely survived the coronavirus crisis, and now the next problem is emerging: high energy costs. Everyone sees their bill rising, but snack bar owners are really getting the worst of it, says the director of the Association of Professional Fryers. ‘In some cases, the energy bill was already three times as high as last year, but now it is becoming truly unaffordable,’ according to director Frans van Rooij. ‘A typical neighborhood cafeteria spent €1,200 per month on gas and electricity last year; now that amount is well over €3,600.’ This means that fries and snacks are becoming more expensive. To offset the increased costs, they would have to become 20 percent more expensive just like that.
Benefit fry table
Oh dear, what can you do as a snack lover? Add an extra fries day to the menu, organize a benefit fry table with housemates or friends, or still grab a sympathy frikandel during your lunch break? Or would you simply be driving snack bar owners into even higher costs because they have to fry more? Who knows, really.
The Hague, take action!
The association is looking to The Hague for a solution. Director Van Rooij is calling on the Ministry of Economic Affairs to take action. Support measures, recovery plans, subsidies: whatever it takes. ‘Entrepreneurs are panicking,’ says the director. He understands that the problem of high gas and electricity bills does not affect snack bars alone, but he believes they are being hit the hardest. ‘If no support is provided, I’m afraid many businesses will not survive this.’
Image: ProFri
