Today Show host Karl Stefanovic, reacting to news from a reporter, boldly declared a bill of more than $40 for the classic Aussie meal at Five Dock Bowling Club “un-Australian”.
While the $28.90 schnitzel is served a side of baked veggies, adding fries at $6.90 and a side salad at $8.90 would bring the total bill to $46.70.
The recently opened Skinny Tony’s restaurant at the historic Five Dock Bowling Club has certainly made an impression on diners with its pricey classics. But the club, which is also charging a 10 per cent surcharge on weekends and public holidays to offset higher wages, defended its prices, pointing out that they are operating without gaming subsidies, and that the pricing was aligned with the market.
Andrew Guthrie, who co-owns the Pinnacle Family Hotel in Mackay – a venue renowned for its generously proportioned classic pub grub – came in swinging in defence of the Club after Stefanovic’s comments, highlighting how venues were struggling to make ends meet during Australia’s current cost of living surge.
Pointing out that the price of virtually everything has gone through the roof, including insurance, alcohol, licensing fees, fuel and cooking oil – which has more than doubled in the past 12 months – Guthrie argued the cost of running a business has skyrocketed.
Things are only going to get worse for schnitzel lovers with Australian chicken producer Ingham’s announcing it too would soon be passing on increasing costs of chicken feed, packaging and production to its customers, with increasing feed and freight costs taking an extra $28.2m from its bottom line.
