Berlin gastronomy: fears of existence due to high costs and shortage of skilled workers!

Berlin gastronomy: fears of existence due to high costs and shortage of skilled workers!

Berlin, Deutschland - The economic situation of Berlin gastronomy remains tense. Restaurant owners and operators of cafés fight for their existence, while fast food chains are still expanding. Berliner Zeitung reports that the problems are varied: high VAT rates, bureaucracy, personnel lack and rising purchasing prices and A decline in the visits to the restaurant increases the companies. Gerrit Buchhorn from Dehoga Berlin describes the situation as "partly critical" and draws attention to the increasing costs and retention of purchase. The number of visitors in Berlin slowly reach the level of 2019, which further increases the economic pressure.

During sales in the hospitality industry, a nominal rose by 10 percent in the first quarter of 2023, this is a decrease of 15.7 percent in the comparison of inflation. The shortage of skilled workers, increased purchase prices and a price -sensitive consumer climate increase the difficulties. The numbers of new openings and closures are also worrying: With 8777 openings, 9428 closures faced in the first quarter of 2023, which illustrates the concerns about the future of the sector.

VAT cut as a glimmer of hope?

A ray of hope could be the planned reduction in VAT from 19 to 7 percent from 2026, as the new federal government announced. However, the Hotel and Gastronomieverband Berlin is skeptical. According to rbb24 , most of the innkeeper will probably not benefit from this tax relief, since price reductions for food and drink apply. Tax relief is only intended to compensate for the increased costs in recent years, which have increased by over 30 percent. Nevertheless, experts expect minor revenues in the Berlin state budget of less than 100 million euros per year.

The opposition left criticizes the measure as unjustified and demands a fair distribution of the effects. In addition, the planned increase in the minimum wage could bring additional costs for the catering businesses, which could negate the hoped -for benefits of sales tax reduction.

Lack of personnel and technological solutions

The industry not only suffers from financial challenges, but also from an acute lack of personnel. RBB24 gives examples like the restaurant "Zum Zum Zum" in Berlin-Kaulsdorf in October 2023 compared to the previous year 20 percent was reduced. Owner Michael Hübner reports on a decline in regular guests and the oppressive costs.

Overall, the future of gastronomy in Berlin is uncertain. The sector must continue to deal with the existing challenges, while at the same time possible solutions such as reducing VAT are discussed.