Restaurant Prices Shooting Up

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Ambiance is more than that; it is the setting, the decoration, the music, the lighting, the placement of tables, the service., and yes the clientele...the whole ball of wax. If one needs to explain it to somebody....
Ah, we have identified a refined gentleman!
 
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windeguy

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My favorite bar in Mountainview , California , St James infirmary, has a great ambiance too, but it isn't the type of place to take your girl for a good meal and romance. Well, second on that the burgers and hot wings were outstanding. Here in the DR I am fine eating in a shack if the food is good and the place is clean. Here finding a place with good service plus good food is a little harder than most countries.
I lived in the area for 10 years, never heard of it. Are prices going up in Jarabacoa in restaurants?
 

JD Jones

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So, I looked at the "Exchange Rate" forum on this site. Two years ago, the exchange rate was about 50 to 1(USD). Today, it's closer to 58.

That's a significant increase. Include that with inflation and Covid shortages, along with NA tourists willing to pay near anything to feel like they're getting out of the pandemic, and the increases aren't surprising at all.

I think Hawaii is the prettiest place on earth, truly. That's one of my happy places. Visiting there is astonishingly expensive, as they pretty much have to import everything, and solid VRBO rentals ain't as easy to come by as they used to be.

That said, I happily pay twice or even three times the cost for stuff in the states because it's just so darn pleasant. That, and Costco is truly my best friend.

Same applies for DR, except the price increases have gone from "stupid cheap" prices to "still mighty affordable." In Honolulu, that grilled chicken breast would have easily cost you double. And that's a mile from the beach.
So true. Still a lot of stupid cheap prices to be found too. Just gotta know where to look.
 

Kricke87

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So true. Still a lot of stupid cheap prices to be found too. Just gotta know where to look.
Please educate me what "stupid cheap" means in this country when the basic salary is around 1-2$/hour? Because I can agree that compared to the US and other "western" countries, dining in a restaurant is cheap. A family of 4 can easily dine for around 50$. But then take into account that the "standard" salary is 5-10 times lower than in "western" countries.
Restaurants shouldn't ONLY serve the tourists that come here and the "rich". But it should serve the locals as well, and NOBODY earning a "standard" salary can afford to dine out.

Local groceries are very overpriced and have increased heavily just in the last couple of months. Just take the price of ground beef, which just a couple of months ago could be bought for around 100$RD/pound, now it's around 140. So a 40% increase, in just a couple of months.

So it's not "stupid cheap", if you take into consideration what the price "should" be. But if you earn +$100k/year then yeah it's cheap.
 
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johne

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Please educate me what "stupid cheap" means in this country when the basic salary is around 1-2$/hour? Because I can agree that compared to the US and other "western" countries, dining in a restaurant is cheap. A family of 4 can easily dine for around 50$. But then take into account that the "standard" salary is 5-10 times lower than in "western" countries.
Restaurants shouldn't ONLY serve the tourists that come here and the "rich". But it should serve the locals as well, and NOBODY earning a "standard" salary can afford to dine out.

Local groceries are very overpriced and have increased heavily just in the last couple of months. Just take the price of ground beef, which just a couple of months ago could be bought for around 100$RD/pound, now it's around 140. So a 40% increase, in just a couple of months.

So it's not "stupid cheap", if you take into consideration what the price "should" be. But if you earn +$100k/year then yeah it's cheap.
Do you think that all "locals" make $1-2 per hour? Perhaps you can find a an alternative word for "locals" and then we can better address your point ? At least in my case...
 

windeguy

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windeguy

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Please educate me what "stupid cheap" means in this country when the basic salary is around 1-2$/hour? Because I can agree that compared to the US and other "western" countries, dining in a restaurant is cheap. A family of 4 can easily dine for around 50$. But then take into account that the "standard" salary is 5-10 times lower than in "western" countries.
Restaurants shouldn't ONLY serve the tourists that come here and the "rich". But it should serve the locals as well, and NOBODY earning a "standard" salary can afford to dine out.

Local groceries are very overpriced and have increased heavily just in the last couple of months. Just take the price of ground beef, which just a couple of months ago could be bought for around 100$RD/pound, now it's around 140. So a 40% increase, in just a couple of months.

So it's not "stupid cheap", if you take into consideration what the price "should" be. But if you earn +$100k/year then yeah it's cheap.
Yesterday my wife purchased ground beef at 124 RD a pound, not 140 RD. Are prices going up? Yes and they have been doing that since I moved here in 2003. By the way - That happens everywhere. (don't you just hate that line? I know, I do.) Imported food items were never cheap here.

Restaurants here will serve who ever has the money to pay. I have not seen any restaurants that would prevent properly dressed people from entering, dining and paying for their food. Restaurants can set whatever prices they want on menus, Do you mean to imply restaurants should drop their prices so "everyone" can afford every item on the menu? Would you suggest they do that, say, in Hawaii as well?
 

Mcinbrass

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Over the last couple of weeks I've been shocked at how expensive restaurants have become. Today at Bocana Boca Chica, prices were sky high. A Cuba Libre for RD$ 380. Pechuga a la Plancha for just under RD$ 900. A soda for RD$ 200. bocana.menuseguro.com.do in case anyone doesn't believe me. This place used to be cheap and cheerful, I'm pretty sure they have doubled their prices in the last 12 months. Lunch for four adults and a couple kids came in at a few pesos under RD$ 10,000, and it was basic, nothing to write home about. Small portions, nothing fancy.

A little walk down the beach showed that prices are similar in other places. Today's special of pasta carbonara in one place for "just" RD$ 600 plus tax and service so $768 in total. And in Santo Domingo itself it's the same story. A cuba libre for RD$ 300 plus tax and service in Plaza España so RD$ 384 in total. A pizza in the Conde for RD$ 895 plus tax and service, so RD$ 1145 in total.

Can't see that jacking up the prices this high is going to help bring the tourists back.
Once the tourists get there they have no choice. On top of that the food SUCKS! But in order to survive with limited hours the restaurants have no recourse. The folks going out must be willing to foot the bill.
 

Kricke87

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Do you think that all "locals" make $1-2 per hour? Perhaps you can find a an alternative word for "locals" and then we can better address your point ? At least in my case...
Did I say all "locals" earn $1-2? The "basic" salary or minimal pay if you weren't aware of that is around 16k$RD/month, but that doesn't apply to the small businesses. So for example those who work at the local colmado might earn less than 10k. But of course just like everywhere else there are people making more. But the majority (more than 50%) having one single full time jobb earn 20k or less/month which is around $330 and thst amounts to around $2 per hour.

Yesterday my wife purchased ground beef at 124 RD a pound, not 140 RD. Are prices going up? Yes and they have been doing that since I moved here in 2003. By the way - That happens everywhere. (don't you just hate that line? I know, I do.) Imported food items were never cheap here.

Restaurants here will serve who ever has the money to pay. I have not seen any restaurants that would prevent properly dressed people from entering, dining and paying for their food. Restaurants can set whatever prices they want on menus, Do you mean to imply restaurants should drop their prices so "everyone" can afford every item on the menu? Would you suggest they do that, say, in Hawaii as well?
Yes prices go up, but not 40%. Because that is a big issue here, the last 20 years. Prices in general have risen several hundreds % on products. 20 years ago you could get 1 pound of rice for like 2 pesos, and now already 30, that is a price increase more than 1500%. But on the contrast the salaries have in best cases only increased to double what they earned 20 years ago. That is what I mean with groceries being overpriced, or rather employees under payed. And I'm just taking into account the prices on national level, as to my understanding national supermarkets don't have local prices, and in Super Pola, La Sirena and Jumbo the price is 135-140 pesos per pound and just in like October you could buy it for less than 100.

I didn't write that restaurants should lower their prices to be accessible to EVERYONE. I'm making a comment about the idea that prices here are "stupid cheap" just because as a foreigner it's cheaper than it is back in your country of origin. So just because a foreigner is ready to pay a certain price, doesn't mean that it's cheap. But I never made any comment about restaurants putting prices...
 
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malko

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Yesterday my wife purchased ground beef at 124 RD a pound, not 140 RD. Are prices going up? Yes and they have been doing that since I moved here in 2003. By the way - That happens everywhere. (don't you just hate that line? I know, I do.) Imported food items were never cheap here.

Restaurants here will serve who ever has the money to pay. I have not seen any restaurants that would prevent properly dressed people from entering, dining and paying for their food. Restaurants can set whatever prices they want on menus, Do you mean to imply restaurants should drop their prices so "everyone" can afford every item on the menu? Would you suggest they do that, say, in Hawaii as well?

I would suggest they have to adapt.

I have no doubt that places that serve up good/excellent food in a nice environment can dictate their prices to the customer. A trip to one of these establishments would be considered a treat/luxury.

On the other hand, the ones that count on volume as opposed to quality would be better off lowering their prices in these hard times. A trip to one of these places would be considered a convinience ( ie, I am too lazy to cook, let's grab something to eat ).

As for the " tourist traps", tough 💩 for them. Their business model was dodgy, at best, even before covid 19. They can all close their doors for all I care.

The problem is ( and not limited to the DR ) is the 2nd category --- of which there are lots--- often think themselves as in the 1st category--- of which there are few.
 

JD Jones

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Jan 7, 2016
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Please educate me what "stupid cheap" means in this country when the basic salary is around 1-2$/hour? Because I can agree that compared to the US and other "western" countries, dining in a restaurant is cheap. A family of 4 can easily dine for around 50$. But then take into account that the "standard" salary is 5-10 times lower than in "western" countries.
Restaurants shouldn't ONLY serve the tourists that come here and the "rich". But it should serve the locals as well, and NOBODY earning a "standard" salary can afford to dine out.

Local groceries are very overpriced and have increased heavily just in the last couple of months. Just take the price of ground beef, which just a couple of months ago could be bought for around 100$RD/pound, now it's around 140. So a 40% increase, in just a couple of months.

So it's not "stupid cheap", if you take into consideration what the price "should" be. But if you earn +$100k/year then yeah it's cheap.
OK. Almost stupid cheap. Prices have raised from stupid cheap.
 

Radical

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Same applies for DR, except the price increases have gone from "stupid cheap" prices to "still mighty affordable." In Honolulu, that grilled chicken breast would have easily cost you double. And that's a mile from the beach.

I truly wonder where specifically is this happening, care to mention where you live in the DR?
 
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Radical

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Local groceries are very overpriced and have increased heavily just in the last couple of months. Just take the price of ground beef, which just a couple of months ago could be bought for around 100$RD/pound, now it's around 140. So a 40% increase, in just a couple of months.

This poster gets it and knows it by experience. (y)
 

Radical

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And I'm just taking into account the prices on national level, as to my understanding national supermarkets don't have local prices, and in Super Pola, La Sirena and Jumbo the price is 135-140 pesos per pound and just in like October you could buy it for less than 100.

Words of wisdom.
 

irsav

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Jan 26, 2019
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Over the last couple of weeks I've been shocked at how expensive restaurants have become. Today at Bocana Boca Chica, prices were sky high. A Cuba Libre for RD$ 380. Pechuga a la Plancha for just under RD$ 900. A soda for RD$ 200. bocana.menuseguro.com.do in case anyone doesn't believe me. This place used to be cheap and cheerful, I'm pretty sure they have doubled their prices in the last 12 months. Lunch for four adults and a couple kids came in at a few pesos under RD$ 10,000, and it was basic, nothing to write home about. Small portions, nothing fancy.

A little walk down the beach showed that prices are similar in other places. Today's special of pasta carbonara in one place for "just" RD$ 600 plus tax and service so $768 in total. And in Santo Domingo itself it's the same story. A cuba libre for RD$ 300 plus tax and service in Plaza España so RD$ 384 in total. A pizza in the Conde for RD$ 895 plus tax and service, so RD$ 1145 in total.

Can't see that jacking up the prices this high is going to help bring the tourists

Over the last couple of weeks I've been shocked at how expensive restaurants have become. Today at Bocana Boca Chica, prices were sky high. A Cuba Libre for RD$ 380. Pechuga a la Plancha for just under RD$ 900. A soda for RD$ 200. bocana.menuseguro.com.do in case anyone doesn't believe me. This place used to be cheap and cheerful, I'm pretty sure they have doubled their prices in the last 12 months. Lunch for four adults and a couple kids came in at a few pesos under RD$ 10,000, and it was basic, nothing to write home about. Small portions, nothing fancy.

A little walk down the beach showed that prices are similar in other places. Today's special of pasta carbonara in one place for "just" RD$ 600 plus tax and service so $768 in total. And in Santo Domingo itself it's the same story. A cuba libre for RD$ 300 plus tax and service in Plaza España so RD$ 384 in total. A pizza in the Conde for RD$ 895 plus tax and service, so RD$ 1145 in total.

Can't see that jacking up the prices this high is going to help bring the tourists back.
Because Dominicans also became 50% richer? Or it is only against us ?