Not cheap anymore

Joined: Jul 04, 2013
Posts: 16
Review of Home Plate BBQ
2

The menu items have all increased by about 10 RMB. The burger used to be a great deal, now it really isn't. Chicken sandwiches are 45 rmb up from 35 before. It is still the same food, but everything is more expensive. 'Tis a shame.

I'm gonna have to go to bat for Home Plate. As a fellow restaurant manager, the last thing any of us want to do is raise prices, but it's a necessary evil all around the world, and especially in Beijing (and greater China). Wages have increased, product prices have increased, rents increase, and they increase much faster as China develops. Increased world-wide demand and more meat consumption has driven up beef and pork prices year on year for most of the past decade. Staff wages have risen incredibly fast, and that's only assuming a minimum wage, and most restaurants (and especially those with English speaking waitstaff) pay more than minimum wage. Even if you just examine minimum wage, you're looking at an increase of around 300% in 10 years. Include also, the cost of housing increases, which affect businesses that provide housing as well as those that provide housing allowances as well as numerous other factors that can affect the bottom line. I'm not saying it doesn't suck when restaurants raise prices - it totally does! And we hate doing it as much as you hate us for doing it. But to pay fair wages and provide safe food and beverage, it adds up and I'd personally rather see businesses raise prices to maintain food safety & quality standards and treat their staff well than start watching them cut corners to make ends meet.

Now, if the prices have increased and the quality standards have fallen, then I totally understand. Same thing if you're paying more for a smaller portion or the service has taken a dive. But from my experiences at the Sanlitun location, I'd agree with your comment above, same good food, same good service. Also, Home Plate's prices haven't really changed much since they've opened, so they probably held out as long as they could.

I will also defend Home Plate here. They are still very reasonably priced. Last week I got a half roast chicken with two sides for 80 kuai! Where else does something like that? Such great quality and value. 2 stars here is hugely unfair.

I suggest OP goes to KFC or Origus Pizza Buffet if he just wants cheap food and doesn't care about what he's eating.

Agree with the reasons behind the price hike and Home Plate has done well to keep the prices low for so long, but to play devils advocate you would hope they may soften the blow a little by offering fries with their burgers.