EATING OUT IN STYLE

It is a fact that causes no doubt. We do not always eat at home. Sometimes we have to have lunch or dinner in restaurants, of which there are many in Azerbaijan. There can be many reasons why people have to eat in catering establishments. Someone does not cook at home at all, someone goes out for lunch. Students and those who spend most of their lives outside because of their job often have to eat out. Sometimes we just sit somewhere for the good of our soul. Some of us do not like to spend time in the restaurant, mark an important event in their lives there, invite their girlfriend or friend to dinner or relax with family and children. But there are people who cannot afford it. The reason is that the prices are too high, or rather, the lack of restaurants designed for a person of average income. It is no secret that high prices in Baku have not spared even the snack bars, i.e. bistros that are meant to be cheaper than reputable catering establishments.

The three components

In Soviet times, there was a chain of canteens for working people to get the necessary calories on the job and re-engage in the construction of communism. Next to these institutions that levelled their customers, expensive restaurants available only for the select few and on major holidays looked different.

Now in the conditions of market and competition, the city is literally packed with catering establishments for different tastes and budgets. But, nevertheless, the average consumer with an average salary cannot always afford food in catering establishments. He faces not only material challenges (on the one hand - the sky-high prices and on the other - finances), but also elementary considerations of the safety and "healthiness" of the food consumed. In fact, attempting to classify public catering establishments on the hierarchical basis is a thankless task, and most importantly, it is not always correct, since, according to the existing laws of the market, demand creates supply, and each product has its own consumer.

Shopping centres

Taking a leisurely stroll through the many shops and having watched a new film, we work up an appetite, and then the inevitable companions of any entertainment in all shopping centres - fast food chains are at our service. Owners of fast food restaurants do not tend to lower prices: they understand that the demand for their products in major shopping sites, main streets and parks is always high. Even such "everyday" products like mineral water are sold here two to two and a half times more expensive than in the store around the corner. The manager of one of these institutions says: "Each fast food restaurant specializes in their own dishes. Drinks are often the same everywhere. There is no need to lower the price if there is demand in any case."

If in terms of price everything is clear with the analogue of our local fast food represented by qutabs, and doners, lahmacuns and shawarmas borrowed from our neighbours Turks, fast food chains of international brands stand out.

The manager of a fast food restaurant said that they are mostly designed for the mass consumer. "Our goal is to feed the largest possible number of people," he said.

Since fast food restaurants with international brands are part of a larger network spread out around the whole world, basically corporate laws apply here. "We follow the rules set by the head office," the manager said. "For example, we cannot change the menu on our own. The same is true of prices." According to the manager, the pricing policy is part of the overall corporate policy, but may be based on local conditions. To this end, we study the market and count the costs, expected revenues and business prospects. "We cannot set prices below the minimum that the head office has provided for us," he explains. "In addition, given that the major 'points' and restaurants are set up in public places and shopping centres, it is necessary to take into account the conditions - high rents, for example. But I can say that our prices are loyal enough - for example, an adult male can eat for 5-6 manats, and slender ladies need even less than that."

As for the quality of food in such establishments, international brands are very strict about the observance of all norms. For example, our products have the HACCP certificate (international security certificate that guarantees that these product will not cause harm to the consumer), and issues of hygiene and quality of products are strictly controlled.

In addition, the prices, like in other areas of public catering, are affected by the costs, including the cost of food. "Few people know it, but everyone's favorite French fries are made from a certain kind of potato that does not grow here. That is to say all the major institutions of the city, which serve real French fries, receive it frozen from abroad," the manager said. This, of course, also increases the cost of products, along with other "branded" components, which also have to be imported. Because of the regulated menu, there is no hope that the prices will come down. However, some variation according to national circumstances and the local market is still permitted. For example, to avoid offending the religious feelings of the population, pork is completely eliminated from the menu while chicken is cut in compliance with Islamic religious canons. If the very concept of fast food does not imply an individual approach and a leisurely pastime for the customers, various campaigns and well-trained staff are meant to attract the largest possible number of people.

26-year-old Rustam Quliyev considers himself an amateur and a regular visitor to the city's cafes. But despite the fact that he works as a programmer and therefore, earns a little more than the average and has not yet started a family, he cannot afford to attend public catering establishments on a daily basis. "The maximum I can afford is a cafe or a restaurant once a week - a cup of coffee in a trendy establishment with a girl or a beer with friends," he says.

Large restaurants

Among restaurants and city cafes, you can always choose the one that will please you not only with delicious food, but also with a nice setting, and, most importantly, with high quality service. But the prices in these places are also slightly higher. Here is what the administrator of one of the largest restaurants said about issues of pricing: "Our restaurant has a large menu, a wide range of food served. We therefore rely on the wide consumer, and our prices range from low to moderate in the city." According to the administrator, the cost of meals in the establishment consists of three parts. The first third is the cost of production. The second third is all the other costs: staff salaries, tax deductions, payments to the pension fund and the rent. The third part is the profit of the establishment.

Given all of the above, we can conclude that the prices at establishments depend on many factors, often objective ones. For example, in more or less prestigious institutions, where the entire flow of visitors goes, the wages of the chef are no less than 800 manats and waiters - no less than 300 manats. Of course, you must work hard to achieve a high level of service. The level of services is the second condition after delicious meals for the success of the restaurant, given that most often, the average lunch or dinner costs a tidy sum - from 10 to 30 manats.

According to the same administrator, there is another factor of high prices - that is to say, natural elimination. Many restaurants, he said, deliberately increase the prices to have only a certain "level" of clients and an appropriate contingent. That is to say the average consumer, being on the lowest rung of the average income, may not get there. Another negative subjective factor is the privileged position that foreigners and visitors to the capital immediately occupy when visiting restaurants. Naturally, in Azerbaijan, as a country of developing tourism, cafes and restaurants get considerable revenues from guests as well as foreigners who live and work here. Therefore, most institutions are simply "adapted" to them - with their prices and clear difference in the level of service. Rustam Quliyev, a representative of the average consumer, says that many institutions which specialize in national cuisine are famed for such selectiveness and inflated prices despite the average quality of food served and absolutely disgusting service.

Business lunch

Another "trick" learnt by most catering establishments, particularly those concentrated in the centre and nearby areas of the city, is what was called a fixed meal in Soviet times and is now called a business lunch, which includes the first course, the main dish, salads and soft drinks. The minimum and, in principle, average price of the dinner is 5-7 manats. This is cheaper than if you ordered these dishes separately at an arbitrary time, but they are only served at certain lunch hours. In fact, despite the lower prices, the owners of establishments do not lose anything, because this practice can also be called a kind of marketing ploy: as the number of customers at lunch time increases, so does the turnover. Nevertheless, only absolutely carefree people with a high salary can afford to buy a business lunch daily.

"Glamour"

Many restaurants in our city, despite the high level of prices, are still favoured by the townspeople. But at the same time, they provide a high level of service. The director of a popular cafe in the city told us that a team of true professionals is working in his establishment: the chef who was educated abroad, mostly a foreigner, well-trained waiters and staff that meet the most stringent requirements. The cost of the services of such employees is also high, which cannot but affect the final price of the product. The creation of a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere also costs a lot of money - the price of expensive designer services, quality furniture and expensive dishes is "built" into the price of each dish you order.

But that's the overhead expenses. This applies particularly to establishments specializing in European and exotic cuisine - many products for dishes are brought from abroad so that visitors can try real Japanese sushi, Spanish gazpacho, Italian risotto, etc. "Many vegetables and fruits simply do not grow here, and we have to bring them from abroad. The same applies to meat - we bring meat and fish of the highest quality," the director explains.  And visitors feel like in Europe, not only while tasting overseas foods, but also while paying the bill.

National food

There are numerous establishments that specialize in national cuisine in Azerbaijan. And they differ in terms of prices very noticeably. Many of them are no different from their more expensive counterparts in the taste and quality of the dishes, are in the central areas of the city and are designed primarily to familiarize foreigners with our dishes. But there are also restaurants with Azerbaijani cuisine for the local people, who want to enjoy a delicious and inexpensive meal. They have a lot of advantages: in any case, there is no need to bring professional chefs from abroad and products are most often local and of excellent freshness. And the steady stream of visitors ensures a high "turnover" and the freshness of dishes.

Summary 

As mentioned above, in general, any consumer can find a cafe or restaurant to his taste and budget to relax and have a carefree evening in good company. But, unfortunately, the prices in these establishments do not allow people to do it every day, turning any visit to them into a festive and therefore, costly enterprise. Perhaps it is time for domestic businessmen to think about how to occupy the niche of restaurants for the general public where people could have a nice time and inexpensive meals.