However, some do not expect an overwhelming demand for corporate lunches when work resumes on the third day of the new year.
Major restaurants in the Klang Valley are already almost fully booked for the traditional reunion dinner on Monday.
Some establishments have opted to keep prices unchanged from previous years to keep their customers coming back, but even those that have opted to raise prices to cope with rising operational costs are also reporting brisk sales.
Oriental Group chief marketing officer Lyn Siew said the group has chosen to retain its set menu prices, which start from RM1,488 for 10 diners depending on the outlet, despite a 20% jump in the cost of imported seafood.
“Since (the end of the) Covid-19 (lockdown), our main objective has been to get our customers to start dining with us again. To reward them for their loyalty, we try to keep prices as they were while we deliver the best we can,” she told FMT.
All 14 outlets of the Oriental Group are already fully booked for the Chinese New Year Eve. This is a 10% increase overall compared with the total reservations for the duration of the festive period last year.
Siew said the demand this year is actually better for the eve of Chinese New Year.
“We will have three sessions — lunch, early dinner and late dinner. Since we have taken deposits, the rate of cancellation is almost zero,” Siew said.
Echoing the same sentiment is Wong Teu Hoon, president of the Melaka chapter of the Pan Malaysia Koo Soo Restaurants and Chefs Association.
He attributed the encouraging sales to diners’ willingness to spend on festive meals at restaurants.
In fact, sales are even better than last year. As restaurants are offering a range of packages to meet a variety of preferences, the number of reservations by this time has already exceeded those of last year.
“Prices differ with location. In rural areas, they start at RM700, but in the city or big towns, prices are usually between RM1,000 and RM4,000. Some restaurants are even prepared to offer higher-priced packages if there is a demand for it,” he said.
Wong said that while the price of seafood has surged lately, most restaurants have opted to absorb the additional costs given that prices on the menu had been set months ago.
However, the outlook is more cautious for some operators as the third day of the Lunar New Year coincides with the tentative start of Ramadan on Feb 19.
Vythi Thaver, a co-owner of the Delay No More Crab Seafood Restaurant Group, whose outlets are pork and lard-free, said the overlap will likely affect the traditional trend of corporate lunches when companies resume operations after the short break.
“Normally, when people return to work on the third day or the fifth day, they will come in for lunch. Now that it is also the fasting month, we have to see what we can do,” he said.
Thaver, who has raised prices by RM100 this year to cover additional electricity and minimum wage costs, said while his restaurants are fully booked for the reunion dinner, the reservations for other days have been less encouraging.
“I must say business was already a bit slow in 2025, and I’m not seeing a surge yet this year,” he said, adding that his strategy remains cutting margins to keep prices affordable.
Green View restaurant CEO Tan Jay Wvin also reported a “moderate price adjustment” to reflect the current operating environment, with menu prices set at RM1,000 to RM3,000.
He attributed the price increase to higher costs of ingredients, particularly seafood, which is largely imported and therefore subject to currency and supply fluctuations.
Tan said that while the restaurant will be almost 90% filled on the eve, bookings for the first and second days of the new year are hovering around 50%.
“Rather than a sudden surge, we are seeing steady and gradual increase in bookings. At this stage, the pace is broadly in line with expectations for this period,” he added. - FMT
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