In recent days, it seems that Israelis’ most basic daily treat, the morning coffee, is becoming more expensive than ever. Following a series of reports on price hikes in major chains, Cafe Cafe recently announced a dramatic move that goes against the industry trend: Lowering the price of regular coffee for Take Away to only NIS 10, a decision effective until further notice.
Cafe Cafe’s decision comes against the backdrop of heated public discourse about widespread price increases. While other chains chose to raise their menu prices, the chain explains that it decided to act based on public sentiment and the sensitive economic and social situation. The goal, they say, is to allow the public to continue enjoying their daily treat at an accessible price, especially during a period when the high cost of living is felt everywhere.
"It’s very easy to join the wave of price increases, and much harder to stop and ask what’s right for our customers now," said Ronen Nimni, owner of the Cafe Cafe group. According to him, the chain chose not to raise prices but to lower them: "We hear the conversation and feel the situation. Coffee is a small moment of pause in the day, and we wanted it to remain accessible to everyone."
Cafe Cafe’s move is particularly notable compared to data revealed on Walla, showing a broad wave of price hikes. For example, the Greg chain raised the price of a breakfast meal from NIS 54 to NIS 56, joining a round of increases that also included Arcaffe and Aroma. At Arcaffe, sharp increases of dozens of percent were recorded for certain items, such as pastries that rose by about 20% and added eggs that jumped by 50%. At Aroma, cappuccino, pastry, and sandwich prices were also updated by up to 15%.
While the chains that raised prices attribute the move to higher costs of raw materials, labor, and operations, consumers find themselves paying much more for a "deal" of coffee and a pastry or breakfast. Alongside Cafe Cafe, which chose to lower prices, chains like Landwer, Roladin, and Sogood of Sonol declared that at this stage, they do not intend to raise prices in the near future.