A cup of coffee costs a lot more now

Several Chinese coffee shops, popular among ordinary people in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, have increased the price of their beverage after the Chinese New Year (CNY), a Malaysiakini survey reveals.

These coffee shops in Kepong, Sri Damansara, Subang Jaya and USJ Subang Jaya were found to have hiked up the price by 10 to 20 sen a cup.

Located in Subang Jaya, Restoran Wong Soon Kee has put up a higher price tag on its cup of coffee.

Its manager, who only wished to be called Chen, said the prices of coffee powder and tea leaves have increased as a result of the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST).

“We have increased our price by 10 sen. A small cup of coffee now costs RM1.70 compared with RM1.60 last year,” she said while receiving cash from staff who had collected payment from the customers for the beverages.

Chen said she did not increase the price immediately after the implementation of GST in view of the fact that the traditional coffee shop is facing stiff competition from cafés.

“We postponed the increase till now,” she said.

Another outlet, Restoran Soon Lee Coffee Shop in Old Town Petaling Jaya, hiked up the price of the beverage by 10 to 20 sen.

The shop manager, who only wanted to be known as Lam, said iced Chinese tea now costs 70 sen (from 60 sen before), while a small cup of coffee is RM1.70 (from RM1.60).

“We have no choice but to hike up the prices. Prices of tea leaves, Milo, milk and sweetened creamer have all gone up,” she said, explaining the reason for the increase.

Amended price list

Chin Kee Coffee Shop in Kepong too has amended the price list for a regular cup of coffee – from RM1.50 to RM1.60. Customers cannot miss seeing the change – it is written in bold on a white piece of paper pasted on an antique board.

“Every year we increase our price by 10 sen,” the outlet manager, who did not want to be named, said.

But with the economic downturn, some other coffee shops did not dare to raise the price of their beverages.

At Restoran Unlimited in Subang Jaya, its owner, Lim Yuet Ping, said business in the first three months of Chinese New Year slipped by 30 percent.

“This year is the worst in my past 14 years of experience. Previously, I would be very busy till the ninth day of the lunar new year.

“But now I am relaxed on the sixth day of Chinese New Year,” she said.

Lim did not want to charge more, even for coffee, for fear that her customers would not return.

“After the GST was implemented, the price of a carton of Luo Han Guo (material for making herbal tea) increased to RM168 from RM132.

“Yet I dare not increase the price (of the beverage) after adjusting it last year,” she said.

Business is also not good for the food business.

A char kuey teow stall owner in Subang Jaya, who only wanted to be referred to as Lim, said sales have gone down by half.

“During Chinese New Year last year, I could prepare more than 100 plates of char kuey teow a day. Now it's only 50 to 60 plates.”

Customers feeling the pinch, too

The business people are not the only ones feeling the pinch of an economic downturn. The higher prices are also burning big holes in the wallets of customers.

Inti College student Tan En Ci complained that a bowl of pan mee has increased by RM1, from RM5.50 last year to RM6.50 this year.

“I try to save money and that’s why I don't take Chinese tea, which costs RM2. Instead, I go for plain water.

“Even the plain water now costs 60 sen a glass (up from 40 sen),” Tan told Malaysiakini after eating his nasi lemak.

Agreeing with Tan, property agent Michael Chen pointed out that a bowl of noodle has increased from RM5.50 in 2015 to RM6.50 this year.

“I need to fork out RM6.50 for the noodle and RM2.50 for the beverage,” Chen said. -Mkini