Chinese price discrepancies
I am a big fan of Gulf Royal Chinese Restaurant, you know, the one located in the Marina Mall food court. Anyone who is a regular there recently would have noticed that the prices were increased. A combo before that cost KD1.750 now costs KD1.850. The combo that cost KD2 before now costs KD2.150. It seemed acceptable and reasonable with all the recent price increase in the market.
So this is where the story gets interesting, yesterday I went to Souk Salmiya since I needed to pass by the appliance section in City Center. When I was done I was hungry so I figured I would go have Chinese at the Gulf Royal Chinese located at the Souk Salmiya food court. I go up, I order the exact same thing as I always do (sweet & sour chicken, Kindu chicken and rice) and I give the guy KD2 and he gives me back 250fils. I check out the price on the menu and its STILL KD1.750. So I ask the guy “what the prices are cheaper here then Marina Mall?” and he tells me yeah they are.
I found that odd. Usually when a franchise increases their prices they increase them at all the branches. So how come it costs more to eat at the Marina Mall then it does at the Souk Salmiya one? I am sure it costs more rent at Marina but they also get wayyy more foot traffic. And if you increased the price at Marina wouldn’t you just as well increase the price at your other branches to make them unified? Is it because people who visit Marina Mall have more money? I am not really complaining here but I am curious..
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23 Comments, add your own...
1. Yazeed | July 4th, 2006 at 10:44 am
cheap prices for the cheap people, more expensive prices for the ………..
2. Vineeth Menon | July 4th, 2006 at 10:50 am
Rent in marina mall is higher…
My co. was checking for shops in a couple of malls.. That’s how I know..
3. Sabah | July 4th, 2006 at 10:59 am
You should try Caesar’s or Winners chinese restaurants if you haven’t already. Both are located in Salmiya. Personally, I find them to be much better (food and ambiance) than Gulf Royal.
4. Mark | July 4th, 2006 at 11:00 am
http://www.248am.com/mark/kuwait/ceasers-chinese-retaurant/
but gulf royal is in the food court, ceasers isnt
5. busynow | July 4th, 2006 at 11:39 am
Mark
great steak meal in marina cost 1.95
in salmiya the same meal is 2.25
6. Mark | July 4th, 2006 at 11:49 am
yeah busy now i know about that but the difference between marina mall and the salmiya one is the salmiya one u dine in, its a restaurant and they serve u in real plates and they have waiters with menus etc… the marina one ont he other hand is self service and in a food court.
7. Moey | July 4th, 2006 at 11:58 am
weird..
8. ur retarded | July 4th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
ya3ni you’re making a big ass deal over 150 fils :/ jeez. its not like they jacked it up by 5 kd
9. Mark | July 4th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
its not about the 150 fils
10. holla | July 4th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
Business in kuwait is a big LOL.
11. busynow | July 4th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
Mark in salmiya even take away the meal is 2.25
12. Carlsb3rg | July 4th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
McDonalad’s don’t have unified prices either. In university branches, prices are cheaper.
13. Marzouq | July 4th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
The thing is the people who do go to the other branchs might really get affected by the difference in price. Or they would really complain, but marina mall has a different crowd coming to it.
If it was my franchise I would have increased the prices all across the board.
14. Anon | July 4th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
KFC also doesnt have unified prices.Food combos are different and cheaper in places like Kuwait city branch,shuwaikh branch,etc.Its all about costs and customer profile.
15. Mark | July 4th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
I never noticed these discrepancies before with like McDonalds and KFC. I mean i would think McDonalds would be an example of unified prices you know..
16. Ozy | July 4th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Hah, yea i noticed this too. I had gulf royal chinese just yesterday (awesome food btw) and the guy charged me like 2.150kd
I was just like alrite whatever.
17. anon | July 4th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
in the US McDonalds does not have unified prices, in fact individual franchise operators are allowed a great deal of flexibility in setting their prices. The economics of pricing schemes have to factor in a lot of variables, namely rental costs at various locations.
18. holla | July 4th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
in the US prices vary state by state for obvious reasons such as taxes, however they don’t within a state.
kuwait is no where as big and varied as the US and the the franchises are owned by set companies. there is little reason for this random, childish price fluctuation.
19. anon | July 5th, 2006 at 8:11 am
holla, childish?
ummm what the hell do you know about such fluctuations? Maybe it costs more to operate that particular branch of the restaurant, and, in good faith the company doesnt raise ALL its prices only the ones at that particular branch. Did anyone bother to think of that?
always jumping to fucking conclusions.
20. Les | July 5th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
I never go to the Gulf Royal in Souk Salmiya since the time once when our prawns smelled funny and when we complained they shovelled them off the plate and put them back in the display!
21. msabah | July 7th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
To me,Chinese food is only to be eaten at The Peacock at SAS Radisson Hotel.Still the best.
22. sfsa78 | July 8th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Ive noticed the increase in price every year. McDonalds has inceased annually, at a rate of of about 15% per year. example, a few months ago you would pay .700 fils for a breakfaast meal (mcmuffin n,hashbrown, and orange juice), now it will cost you .850fils. It adds up at the end of the month, especially if you bother noticing that this increase is almost everywhere, not only food. So when you realise that your salary doesn’t even increase 15% every year to keep up with this inflation, you know your being screwed.
23. Mark | July 8th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
McDonalds doesnt increase 15% a year. The 700 fils to 850fils was the first increase since they first opened here maybe.
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