Ludhiana: A sharp increase in the price of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders has forced restaurants, sweet shops, and roadside food carts across Ludhiana to hike their menu prices by 10% to 20%. The price revision spans the entire local food sector as business owners look to offset soaring operational costs.The primary catalyst for the adjustment was a massive price hike in May, where the cost of a 19kg commercial cylinder surged by ₹993, driving the total price up to ₹3,154. While cylinder prices had been steadily rising since the beginning of the year, the record-breaking May hike prompted widespread concern among restaurateurs who rely heavily on gas as a core business resource.After managing the inflated expenses for a month, food business owners revised their menus based on daily sales volumes and the specific cooking times required for various dishes. High-heat items and long-simmering recipes have seen the highest percentage increments.A meat shop owner from Pakhowal Road said, “Earlier the price of gravy chicken was around ₹490 including the taxes but now it is around ₹560 along with the taxes. The food needs to be cooked as per the required amount of time which further obviously requires gas. Considering the quality of the cooking process we had to increase the menu prices for around 10-15% . The amount was increased by different percentages for different types of food items.”Similar shifts are visible at mainstream dine-in venues. Balwinder, a manager at a food outlet in South City, said, “The prices have been increased by various restaurants as the situation has changed since the price hike of these commercial cylinders. We have also revised our food menu prices. Earlier the price for dal makhani was around ₹310 but currently it around ₹360 with taxes. The prices also depends from restaurant to restaurant and as per their daily sales.”Even small-scale confectioneries and snack vendors have been unable to absorb the losses. A sweet shop owner from College Road said, “The prices have been increased in my shop. Earlier we used to sale one samosa for ₹22 now it is for ₹27 and another type of samosa for ₹34 which is for ₹40 now. The food items that I sell require more cooking time.”
