How much are you willing to pay for toasties? This restaurant's price shocked food lovers

In a world where the cost of living is constantly on the rise, Australians are no strangers to the occasional sticker shock.

Yet, the price of a cafe staple left customers and social media users in disbelief.

The humble sanga, which came with standard garnishing, is being sold for a jaw-dropping price.


An anonymous diner from Perth shared their discovery while browsing a delivery service app.

A ham and cheese toastie from an unnamed cafe came with an exorbitant price tag of $31.20.

The ham and cheese toastie consisted of the sandwich itself—sliced in half—along with a green salad and pickled vegetables.


compressed-toastie.jpeg
A ham and cheese toastie from an unnamed cafe in Perth sparked a debate among consumers. Image Credit: Reddit/Affectionate_Run_672


The diner shared their astonishment through a post which read, '$32 ham toastie anyone?'

'I do know delivery apps add a surcharge and make everything more expensive, but it's ham and cheese.'

'I think this will be the moment that finally gets me to quit these apps for good,' they concluded.

The post immediately became a hotbed of discussion among Aussies.


'People need to stop paying these ridiculous prices,' one exclaimed.

'There is no universe in which I'd pay $32 for a ham toastie,' a second commenter wrote.

A third replied with, 'You could buy half a kilo of ham, a small Camembert wheel and a whole loaf of gourmet crusty bread for that much and make about eight of them for that price!'

The discussion also highlighted a growing frustration with delivery services.

'Gouging customers, restaurants, and delivery drivers is a s***** business model,' one voiced out.

'If you or anyone else bought it, they are the problem,' someone concluded.


However, not everyone was quick to blame the cafe.

There were a few commenters who, despite the price, admitted the toastie looked 'f****** excellent'.
While startling, his incident is just a symptom of a more significant issue affecting the hospitality industry.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) reported a record number of 1,667 food services that collapsed in the past 12 months.

CreditorWatch Australia also forecasted that one in 13 hospitality businesses could fail in the coming year.


The financial strain on these cafes and restaurants has been so severe that the average price of a flat white could surge to $7.

According to Independent Food Distributors Australia's Chief Executive, Richard Forbes, businesses continue to grapple with a 30 per cent increase in food costs.

'We have seen the price of beverages and food rise over the last two or three years,' Mr Forbes shared.

'That's not going to get any better until we start doing something to rein in the costs of business.'
Key Takeaways

  • A Perth local was shocked about a ham and cheese toastie priced at over $30 on a delivery service app.
  • The hefty price tag of the toastie sparked outrage among Aussies, who thought that the price was unreasonable.
  • Some people defended the high price and argued that the quality could justify it, while others criticised delivery apps for inflating food prices.
  • Rising food costs and financial pressures on hospitality businesses led to significant price increases. Several consumer groups forecasted price surges as the industry continues to grapple with a cost-of-living crisis.
What are your thoughts on this toastie turmoil? Have you encountered similar instances of inflated food prices? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
 
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Maybe I should agree to open a Cafe like my daughter wants!!

I went to Brunch with some of my kids.
My daughter had a piece of sour dough toast with avo on top and a poached egg. She paid $24 !!!

I then made the exact breakfast for her for no more than $4

I also make some mean toasted sandwiches 🥪
 
Is that icing sugar or salt all over it????
I would never put either on it . Enjoy the natural flavours unless they use poor quality ingredients then smother it with bsrbewue or tomato sauce to give it some umph!!!
 
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Reactions: Littleboy8
It’s a bit of a catch 22. The costs for the cafes are through the roof - the costs of supplies, rent, electricity etc. They put up their prices to try and make a decent living but by doing that they lose customers who (rightly) can’t afford to pay. I would hate to own a hospitality business in this day and age. My sons have commented on how when we go out for a meal, the club or restaurant is “full of older people” Well, that’s probably because if you are paying a mortgage you can’t afford to eat out.
 
Maybe I should agree to open a Cafe like my daughter wants!!

I went to Brunch with some of my kids.
My daughter had a piece of sour dough toast with avo on top and a poached egg. She paid $24 !!!

I then made the exact breakfast for her for no more than $4

I also make some mean toasted sandwiches 🥪
We all like to go out for a meal occassionally, but the cost can be offputting. I could make this so much cheaper at home for a fraction of the price, minus the icing sugar on top?? Luckily I can cook so lots of home made cookery at my place! I make my own platters, seafood, sandwiches, whatever the occassion.
 
Is that icing sugar or salt all over it????
I would never put either on it . Enjoy the natural flavours unless they use poor quality ingredients then smother it with bsrbewue or tomato sauce to give it some umph!!!
I don’t think that’s icing sugar , more like Parmesan or crumbled feta . Nonetheless I would never pay that price for a toasted sandwich. I make most of my own food at home.
 
It's not the cost of living that these Cafe prices are so high it pure greed. I ordered grilled 3 cheese on sour dough and it consisted of melted cheese on 1 slice of bread cut in half on a plate and they charged me $9.00 doubt I will be visiting The C--ffee Cl#b again in the future
 
  • Wow
Reactions: mOiOz
Never use home delivery for ANYTHING. Maybe some who cannot get out of their homes due to inability, illness or other issues would use the service. But that ‘toastie’ would not be very toasty or even warm by the time it got to me by the delivery driver from Perth to Brisbane!!! More like the bread would be hard & the ham & cheese would be mouldy and make me so sick I’d need hospitalisation
 
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Reactions: PattiB
It's not the cost of living that these Cafe prices are so high it pure greed. I ordered grilled 3 cheese on sour dough and it consisted of melted cheese on 1 slice of bread cut in half on a plate and they charged me $9.00 doubt I will be visiting The C--ffee Cl#b again in the future
I went to that place a long time ago, and never went back due to their greedy pricing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PattiB
Maybe I should agree to open a Cafe like my daughter wants!!

I went to Brunch with some of my kids.
My daughter had a piece of sour dough toast with avo on top and a poached egg. She paid $24 !!!

I then made the exact breakfast for her for no more than $4

I also make some mean toasted sandwiches 🥪
I'd think twice before going into a restaurant business.. I was in one for 7 years and you have to work your butt off 7 days a week for little or no pay..... the rent and the expenses are killer....
 

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