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Greek restaurants feel the heat as Souvlaki prices soar -Breaking

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© Reuters. In Athens (Greece), May 27, 2022, a cook serves a customer souvlaki. This popular Greek fast-food is made from pieces of meat that have been grilled on a skewer. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi

ATHENS, (Reuters) – As Greek restaurants prepare for summer season they keep an eye on inflation. This is evident in the soaring cost of a popular snack with locals as well as visitors.

The average price of souvlaki has risen faster than inflation headlines – hovering around 10% in Greece for 28 years – as reported by the national statistical agencies.

Flatbread, a classic dish of grill meat and salad with garlic yogurt is now available for 3.30 Euros ($3.55) in Athens. This price difference has been 30% since last summer.

It is clear that the rise in the price of main ingredients, such as meat, vegetables, and sunflower oils, has exacerbated the pressures placed on the economy.

Thanasis Golas (79 years old) said, “The war with Ukraine has affected us very much.” He was the owner of Monastiraki’s oldest kebab shop. As he cut pieces of pork for his predominantly foreign customers.

“Greek customers were reduced significantly.”

Suvlaki, long considered an affordable treat for almost everyone, has been increasingly seen as something people who have tight budgets should reconsider buying.

Morina Ntotsi (58), a cleaner, says that while she used to buy 3 or 2 souvlaki in the past, now I only purchase one because they are very costly and my wages are lower right now. She earns 720 euro a month.

Athens’ Grill and Restaurant Union reports that pork prices rose 30% over the last year, while the cost of sunflower oil from Ukraine has increased by 125% and the electricity bill is higher than 100%.

Spyros Bairachtaris who has been a family-owned restaurant at the Acropolis’ for 140+ years, said that he hopes the war will soon end. His electricity bill doubled and he is now struggling with his souvlaki, which he sells at a cost of less than 3 euros.

The snack is still a bargain for at least one tourist.

Dave Disis of Georgia said that he would be willing to pay 10 euro for the souvlaki.

($1 = 0.9326 euros)

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