Restaurant closures becoming ‘regular occurrence’ amid inflated food prices

AMMAN — Restaurant closures have become a regular occurrence in Amman, “necessitating real solutions”, said Omar Awad, president of the Jordan Association for Restaurants and Sweet Shops Owners.

Awad noted that inflated food prices, on a global scale, have added additional pressure on many food business owners, who were already suffering in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The present economic situation is truly challenging, however, greater attention must be focused on the local restaurant industry,” Awad told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“The majority of restaurant operators do not believe that their standing will get any better,” Anas Rateb, a Jordanian accountant and owner of a restaurant in Amman, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

Rateb added that while sales have slightly increased during the summer months, this will not help the businesses pay operational costs. 

He indicated that every month he sees “quite a number” of restaurants for sale, while many other are cleared out after only operating for a year or less.

“The tide of closures happening in Jordan is distressing. We do not only see restaurants closing, but local businesses whose owners have started them with the hope to improve their financial situation and bring a new idea to the country,” Samer Hadadin, a falafel shop owner, told The Jordan Times.

Hadadin also pointed out that inflationary pressures even affect operators’ everyday decisions, adding that on one hand, consumers are cutting back on restaurants; while on the other hand, food prices are increasing.