It's no secret that grabbing breakfast on the go can be a bit of a hit-and-miss experience: sometimes, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, while other times, you might find the serving size unsatisfying.

Case in point, one Melbourne café has recently raised eyebrows when they charged $22 for a simple breakfast. While the price isn't shocking by café standards, it is certainly surprising when considering what the customer was served.

The unhappy customer took to social media to complain about the 'sad looking' breakfast he had been served at the café, claiming that the same meal had been more substantial just a few months ago but for the same $22 price tag.

Sharing a photo of the dish, which included a single slice of sourdough bread, half a slice of ham, two poached eggs and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce, the customer vented about the case of what he called 'shrinkflation'.

The unhappy customer shared a photo of their $22 breakfast on social media. Credit: Reddit

Unfortunately, receiving obviously overpriced servings of food is not an uncommon problem these days–and the customer's message was met with a lot of understanding from fellow Aussies.

‘That's the saddest, most unappetising eggs benedict I have ever seen’, one user expressed in the comments section.

‘They don’t even know how to fill a plate, they could at least add some salad or use a different-sized plate’, another user exclaimed.

Some even suggested that the meal is suited more to an airport food court than a regular restaurant, to which the customer replied: 'This is at a café, not in an airport. That is the whole meal’.

It didn't take long for other people to chime in with less-than-flattering comments. One described the dish as the 'culinary equivalent of a manila envelope'.

The complaints didn't stop there, as other social media users lamented the current cost of dining out and asked if food prices were going up due to unfair jacking by restaurants.

‘Eating out is just feeling more and more unappetising these days. Either the portions are poor or the food itself is subpar at best,’ one person shared.

Another user commented: ‘This is why I started cooking for myself’.

However, there might well be an explanation for the unexpectedly high cost of dining out these days.

According to the June Business Risk Index from CreditorWatch, food and beverage services are at the highest risk of default due to their reliance on discretionary spending, which has been declining as of late.

Additionally, Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell from ANZ Research explained to a news source why many hospitality businesses have been forced to raise their prices in the past year.

'The price of restaurant meals rose 6.5 per cent year-on-year to the June quarter, while the price of takeaway food rose 9.1 per cent year-on-year over that time,' Timbrell said.

The price of restaurant meals has increased 6.5 per cent, according to ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell. Credit: Rod Long/Unsplash

'This is likely due to a mix of factors in the hospitality sector, including the higher price of inputs like food, electricity and transport, as well as labour shortages which have likely impacted productivity in the sector. Rising wages in the sector may also contribute to the rising cost of dining out, though are one of many factors’, he added.

The economist mentioned that dining spending in Australia has been above-trend for some time, which may also have incentivised businesses to increase their prices, although this may have been the result of not enough output during the 'boom' of dining spending in Australia.

Key Takeaways

• An Aussie diner expressed disappointment over the drastic reduction in serving size at a Melbourne cafe, referring to it as 'shrinkflation'.
  
• The customer shared a picture of a $22 eggs benedict meal online, which seemed substantially less than what was served a few months ago for the same price.
  
• Fellow Aussies were shocked, with some mistaking it for a meal served at an airport, and others criticised the high cost of dining out.
  
• ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell explains that the hike in restaurant prices is due to factors such as the rise in the price of food, electricity, transport and labour shortages in the hospitality sector. Also, she points out that even though household dining spending has been cut back, the extra demand earlier might have spurred businesses to up their prices.
  

Have you noticed the same trend in your local café, members? Would you pay $22 for this? Share your experience in the comments below!

 

[cheviegirl34]

It's no secret that grabbing breakfast on the go can be a bit of a hit-and-miss experience: sometimes, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, while other times, you might find the serving size unsatisfying.

Case in point, one Melbourne café has recently raised eyebrows when they charged $22 for a simple breakfast. While the price isn't shocking by café standards, it is certainly surprising when considering what the customer was served.

The unhappy customer took to social media to complain about the 'sad looking' breakfast he had been served at the café, claiming that the same meal had been more substantial just a few months ago but for the same $22 price tag.

Sharing a photo of the dish, which included a single slice of sourdough bread, half a slice of ham, two poached eggs and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce, the customer vented about the case of what he called 'shrinkflation'.

View attachment 27730

The unhappy customer shared a photo of their $22 breakfast on social media. Credit: Reddit

Unfortunately, receiving obviously overpriced servings of food is not an uncommon problem these days–and the customer's message was met with a lot of understanding from fellow Aussies.

‘That's the saddest, most unappetising eggs benedict I have ever seen’, one user expressed in the comments section.

‘They don’t even know how to fill a plate, they could at least add some salad or use a different-sized plate’, another user exclaimed.

Some even suggested that the meal is suited more to an airport food court than a regular restaurant, to which the customer replied: 'This is at a café, not in an airport. That is the whole meal’.

It didn't take long for other people to chime in with less-than-flattering comments. One described the dish as the 'culinary equivalent of a manila envelope'.

The complaints didn't stop there, as other social media users lamented the current cost of dining out and asked if food prices were going up due to unfair jacking by restaurants.

‘Eating out is just feeling more and more unappetising these days. Either the portions are poor or the food itself is subpar at best,’ one person shared.

Another user commented: ‘This is why I started cooking for myself’.

However, there might well be an explanation for the unexpectedly high cost of dining out these days.

According to the June Business Risk Index from CreditorWatch, food and beverage services are at the highest risk of default due to their reliance on discretionary spending, which has been declining as of late.

Additionally, Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell from ANZ Research explained to a news source why many hospitality businesses have been forced to raise their prices in the past year.

'The price of restaurant meals rose 6.5 per cent year-on-year to the June quarter, while the price of takeaway food rose 9.1 per cent year-on-year over that time,' Timbrell said.

View attachment 27731

The price of restaurant meals has increased 6.5 per cent, according to ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell. Credit: Rod Long/Unsplash

'This is likely due to a mix of factors in the hospitality sector, including the higher price of inputs like food, electricity and transport, as well as labour shortages which have likely impacted productivity in the sector. Rising wages in the sector may also contribute to the rising cost of dining out, though are one of many factors’, he added.

The economist mentioned that dining spending in Australia has been above-trend for some time, which may also have incentivised businesses to increase their prices, although this may have been the result of not enough output during the 'boom' of dining spending in Australia.

Key Takeaways

• An Aussie diner expressed disappointment over the drastic reduction in serving size at a Melbourne cafe, referring to it as 'shrinkflation'.
• The customer shared a picture of a $22 eggs benedict meal online, which seemed substantially less than what was served a few months ago for the same price.
• Fellow Aussies were shocked, with some mistaking it for a meal served at an airport, and others criticised the high cost of dining out.
• ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell explains that the hike in restaurant prices is due to factors such as the rise in the price of food, electricity, transport and labour shortages in the hospitality sector. Also, she points out that even though household dining spending has been cut back, the extra demand earlier might have spurred businesses to up their prices.

Have you noticed the same trend in your local café, members? Would you pay $22 for this? Share your experience in the comments below!

That is dreadful, I would not be paying for that. We have 2 poached eggs on toast at the Dandenong market for $6.00”!!!!! At Forbes NSW we have been to lunch twice $10 for a really tasty Chinese meal. Plenty of it as well. That cafe in Melbourne is a ripoff.

 

[Pommyoz]

Even the plate needs replacing, scratched and grey looking, yuk

 

[Veggiepatch]

What else would you expect from Melbourne? The world's most liveable city? That's why the term "wankerism" was developed. Used to describe the affliction suffered by most Melbournites - a sense of self entitlement. But that "meal" was totally disgusting, both in price and presentation. I would cook something better for a tenth of the price.

Too bad I live in the shithole surrounded by tossers.

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

The breakfast dish looks rather sad ,it looks like the sourdough slice has not been toasted and the tiny ham not been cooked , it looks like a slice (thin) and just added to the bread . Very unattractive , no herbs or greenery on the side or tomato etc. The place certainly looks there is something missing . I would not pay that for a breakfast dish . Personally I find breakfast in café ‘s are way over the top priced. I rather go out for lunch and probably pay less .

 

[Luckyus]

It's no secret that grabbing breakfast on the go can be a bit of a hit-and-miss experience: sometimes, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, while other times, you might find the serving size unsatisfying.

Case in point, one Melbourne café has recently raised eyebrows when they charged $22 for a simple breakfast. While the price isn't shocking by café standards, it is certainly surprising when considering what the customer was served.

The unhappy customer took to social media to complain about the 'sad looking' breakfast he had been served at the café, claiming that the same meal had been more substantial just a few months ago but for the same $22 price tag.

Sharing a photo of the dish, which included a single slice of sourdough bread, half a slice of ham, two poached eggs and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce, the customer vented about the case of what he called 'shrinkflation'.

View attachment 27730

The unhappy customer shared a photo of their $22 breakfast on social media. Credit: Reddit

Unfortunately, receiving obviously overpriced servings of food is not an uncommon problem these days–and the customer's message was met with a lot of understanding from fellow Aussies.

‘That's the saddest, most unappetising eggs benedict I have ever seen’, one user expressed in the comments section.

‘They don’t even know how to fill a plate, they could at least add some salad or use a different-sized plate’, another user exclaimed.

Some even suggested that the meal is suited more to an airport food court than a regular restaurant, to which the customer replied: 'This is at a café, not in an airport. That is the whole meal’.

It didn't take long for other people to chime in with less-than-flattering comments. One described the dish as the 'culinary equivalent of a manila envelope'.

The complaints didn't stop there, as other social media users lamented the current cost of dining out and asked if food prices were going up due to unfair jacking by restaurants.

‘Eating out is just feeling more and more unappetising these days. Either the portions are poor or the food itself is subpar at best,’ one person shared.

Another user commented: ‘This is why I started cooking for myself’.

However, there might well be an explanation for the unexpectedly high cost of dining out these days.

According to the June Business Risk Index from CreditorWatch, food and beverage services are at the highest risk of default due to their reliance on discretionary spending, which has been declining as of late.

Additionally, Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell from ANZ Research explained to a news source why many hospitality businesses have been forced to raise their prices in the past year.

'The price of restaurant meals rose 6.5 per cent year-on-year to the June quarter, while the price of takeaway food rose 9.1 per cent year-on-year over that time,' Timbrell said.

View attachment 27731

The price of restaurant meals has increased 6.5 per cent, according to ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell. Credit: Rod Long/Unsplash

'This is likely due to a mix of factors in the hospitality sector, including the higher price of inputs like food, electricity and transport, as well as labour shortages which have likely impacted productivity in the sector. Rising wages in the sector may also contribute to the rising cost of dining out, though are one of many factors’, he added.

The economist mentioned that dining spending in Australia has been above-trend for some time, which may also have incentivised businesses to increase their prices, although this may have been the result of not enough output during the 'boom' of dining spending in Australia.

Key Takeaways

• An Aussie diner expressed disappointment over the drastic reduction in serving size at a Melbourne cafe, referring to it as 'shrinkflation'.
• The customer shared a picture of a $22 eggs benedict meal online, which seemed substantially less than what was served a few months ago for the same price.
• Fellow Aussies were shocked, with some mistaking it for a meal served at an airport, and others criticised the high cost of dining out.
• ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell explains that the hike in restaurant prices is due to factors such as the rise in the price of food, electricity, transport and labour shortages in the hospitality sector. Also, she points out that even though household dining spending has been cut back, the extra demand earlier might have spurred businesses to up their prices.

Have you noticed the same trend in your local café, members? Would you pay $22 for this? Share your experience in the comments below!

I would be sending it back and not paying for it, Before anyone starts I don't believe in paying upfront for meals as to to me that practice makes the experience rather dubious.

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

I would ot pay up front either .
There are some places and it is getting harder not to book in for a table , you have to pay when you book in by phone or online for the amount of people . If some of the bookings are unable to attend for any reason , there is no refund and you pay by creditcard and will be charged for that on top as well .
This only happened recently as a friend told me this happened to them and their family . This was not a fancy restaurant , just an ordinary pub , they picked that place as it was sort of in the middle of all family members and there was a playground for the children.
Rather sad it is going that way , we usually don’t eat out on weekends or public holidays , Mother’s Day etc.

 

[Linda24]

I'd refuse to pay $22 for such a pathetic attempt at eggs Benedict. I'd give it back and go elsewhere. I also don't agree with "The price of restaurant meals rose 6.5 per cent year-on-year to the June quarter Timbrell said" Where does Timbrell dine out? Everywhere I go prices are over 50% higher than a year ago. Burgers served with chips are $22-$26 everywhere, fish and chips as high as $29! Have you noticed how a lot of menus now only offer burgers, snitzels, pasta dishes and one or two steak and fish meals and nothing under $26! I very rarely buy takeaway or eat out, there's no quality or value for money any more.

 

[Veggiepatch]

A few months ago, I bought a burger with egg from a nondescript takeaway in Dandenong for $7.50. No frills and it filled the spot....sorta.

 

[Col@45]

It's no secret that grabbing breakfast on the go can be a bit of a hit-and-miss experience: sometimes, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, while other times, you might find the serving size unsatisfying.

Case in point, one Melbourne café has recently raised eyebrows when they charged $22 for a simple breakfast. While the price isn't shocking by café standards, it is certainly surprising when considering what the customer was served.

The unhappy customer took to social media to complain about the 'sad looking' breakfast he had been served at the café, claiming that the same meal had been more substantial just a few months ago but for the same $22 price tag.

Sharing a photo of the dish, which included a single slice of sourdough bread, half a slice of ham, two poached eggs and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce, the customer vented about the case of what he called 'shrinkflation'.

View attachment 27730

The unhappy customer shared a photo of their $22 breakfast on social media. Credit: Reddit

Unfortunately, receiving obviously overpriced servings of food is not an uncommon problem these days–and the customer's message was met with a lot of understanding from fellow Aussies.

‘That's the saddest, most unappetising eggs benedict I have ever seen’, one user expressed in the comments section.

‘They don’t even know how to fill a plate, they could at least add some salad or use a different-sized plate’, another user exclaimed.

Some even suggested that the meal is suited more to an airport food court than a regular restaurant, to which the customer replied: 'This is at a café, not in an airport. That is the whole meal’.

It didn't take long for other people to chime in with less-than-flattering comments. One described the dish as the 'culinary equivalent of a manila envelope'.

The complaints didn't stop there, as other social media users lamented the current cost of dining out and asked if food prices were going up due to unfair jacking by restaurants.

‘Eating out is just feeling more and more unappetising these days. Either the portions are poor or the food itself is subpar at best,’ one person shared.

Another user commented: ‘This is why I started cooking for myself’.

However, there might well be an explanation for the unexpectedly high cost of dining out these days.

According to the June Business Risk Index from CreditorWatch, food and beverage services are at the highest risk of default due to their reliance on discretionary spending, which has been declining as of late.

Additionally, Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell from ANZ Research explained to a news source why many hospitality businesses have been forced to raise their prices in the past year.

'The price of restaurant meals rose 6.5 per cent year-on-year to the June quarter, while the price of takeaway food rose 9.1 per cent year-on-year over that time,' Timbrell said.

View attachment 27731

The price of restaurant meals has increased 6.5 per cent, according to ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell. Credit: Rod Long/Unsplash

'This is likely due to a mix of factors in the hospitality sector, including the higher price of inputs like food, electricity and transport, as well as labour shortages which have likely impacted productivity in the sector. Rising wages in the sector may also contribute to the rising cost of dining out, though are one of many factors’, he added.

The economist mentioned that dining spending in Australia has been above-trend for some time, which may also have incentivised businesses to increase their prices, although this may have been the result of not enough output during the 'boom' of dining spending in Australia.

Key Takeaways

• An Aussie diner expressed disappointment over the drastic reduction in serving size at a Melbourne cafe, referring to it as 'shrinkflation'.
• The customer shared a picture of a $22 eggs benedict meal online, which seemed substantially less than what was served a few months ago for the same price.
• Fellow Aussies were shocked, with some mistaking it for a meal served at an airport, and others criticised the high cost of dining out.
• ANZ Research Senior Economist Adelaide Timbrell explains that the hike in restaurant prices is due to factors such as the rise in the price of food, electricity, transport and labour shortages in the hospitality sector. Also, she points out that even though household dining spending has been cut back, the extra demand earlier might have spurred businesses to up their prices.

Have you noticed the same trend in your local café, members? Would you pay $22 for this? Share your experience in the comments below!

This is why we cook our own breakfast.....disgusting price for an unappetising meal.

 

[SGH]

I would ot pay up front either .
There are some places and it is getting harder not to book in for a table , you have to pay when you book in by phone or online for the amount of people . If some of the bookings are unable to attend for any reason , there is no refund and you pay by creditcard and will be charged for that on top as well .
This only happened recently as a friend told me this happened to them and their family . This was not a fancy restaurant , just an ordinary pub , they picked that place as it was sort of in the middle of all family members and there was a playground for the children.
Rather sad it is going that way , we usually don’t eat out on weekends or public holidays , Mother’s Day etc.

Why not find a park with a play area and everyone bring a plate, that's what we used to do. We never took the kids to a pub. If it is for Mother's day you need to be outside because you can never hear the conversation, the music is always too loud and there are too many distractions.

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

Why not find a park with a play area and everyone bring a plate, that's what we used to do. We never took the kids to a pub. If it is for Mother's day you need to be outside because you can never hear the conversation, the music is always too loud and there are too many distractions.

This is just an example what has happened , not what you could do , they wanted a nice cooked breakfast with fresh coffee . You are with a group and that is what the group wanted to do !