Chennai, 13 March (H.S.): A shortage of commercial cooking gas cylinders has begun to push up food prices in Chennai and its surrounding areas, forcing several restaurants to scale down operations and increase the cost of popular dishes.
Hotel owners say the supply disruption is linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, where tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States have affected global fuel logistics. As a result, the supply of commercial LPG cylinders used by restaurants has reportedly slowed, creating difficulties for eateries across Tamil Nadu.
While large restaurants that had stocked up cylinders earlier are continuing to operate normally, many small and medium-sized eateries have been forced to limit the number of dishes they prepare each day. Restaurant managers say the shortage has disrupted routine kitchen operations and increased their operating costs.
The price of a 19‑kg commercial LPG cylinder, which was officially around ₹2,043, has also surged in the black market. According to restaurant operators, the same cylinder is now being sold for as much as ₹3,000 in some places due to the supply crunch. With few alternatives available, many restaurant owners say they have been forced to buy cylinders at higher prices to keep their businesses running.
The rise in fuel costs has led to a modest increase in food prices across several eateries. Items such as idli, dosa, poori, appam, chapati, variety rice, pongal, vada, bajji, and bonda have seen price increases of ₹2 to ₹5. Meanwhile, dishes such as meals, biryani, fried rice, chicken, mutton, and other non‑vegetarian items have become costlier by ₹10 to ₹20 in many restaurants.
Several establishments have displayed notices informing customers about the price revisions, citing higher fuel costs as the main reason. Restaurant operators say the decision to raise prices was unavoidable as cooking gas forms a significant portion of their daily expenses.
A hotel owner in Chennai said restaurants in the city cater to a large number of people arriving from other districts and neighbouring states, including tourists and business travellers who depend on eateries for regular meals. Despite the steady flow of customers, he said it has become increasingly difficult to run restaurants without adequate gas supply.
He added that many restaurant operators are currently purchasing cylinders at inflated prices just to keep their kitchens running. However, industry members believe the situation is temporary and expect the supply to stabilise in the coming days, which could help bring prices back to normal.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
