New Zealand is grappling with high inflation and restaurants are being hit with an ever-increasing cost of food and labour wages.
Many restaurant owners are faced with the dilemma of maintaining profitability or even how to keep their businesses afloat.
The easy answer appears to be increasing menu prices - a path many have taken.
But for one restaurateur the game plan is doing quite the opposite. The winning recipe is keeping prices low to keep bums on seats at his restaurants.
Paul Wong is the owner of Mr Hao, Lucky 8, Jungle 8 and the recently opened Saigon Commune in Albany.
He has owned more than a dozen restaurants both here and China that includes menu offerings ranging from Italian, French, Chinese to Vietnamese.
“We’re all in this recession together, and we remain committed to customers who are seeking affordability during this time of uncertainty,” Wong said.
Wong says his restaurant operations remain committed to keep prices as stable as they possibly can despite the prevailing economic conditions.
“Cost of certain items have increased dramatically, but by sourcing good value products and changing the menu to suit, we have been able to keep our prices low,” Wong said.
“During a recessionary environment, it would be naive to think that by increasing prices, we would increase our profits. Price hikes could lead to a decrease in patronage and reduce overall revenue even though prices may be higher.”
Most items on the menu at Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 are $8.88, and among the most popular options at Mr Hao is the eat-all-you-want dumplings for $28 and at Saigon Pho, the $19 mega-size bowl of beef pho.
Mr Hao, a modern Chinese barbecue joint on Dominion Road, was opened at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Its emphasis of sharing makes the restaurant a perfect place for a catch up over seafood, skewers, dumplings and beer.
A must-try dish is Mr Hao’s spicy chicken wings, which are decadently juicy and delicious. They are served in a platter with mild dried and fried chillies - the larger ones you can eat like chips.
Lucky 8, an Asian-inspired tapas restaurant on Ponsonby Road opened in early 2022 with all of its menu items and drinks on tap at $8. Cost increase has forced it to up the prices to $8.88 - which is still affordable.
Jungle 8 opened last year based on a similar concept, but with a menu that draws inspiration mainly from Vietnam.
“What we offer here is a modern take on Vietnamese street food and what we aimed to do is to bring the explosive energy of what you find in Southeast Asia to Auckland,” he said.
On the menu are wagyu pho, pork banh mi, Vietnamese spring rolls, papaya salad and more - each priced modestly at $8.88.
More recently Wong changed Mr Hao Albany to Saigon Commune, bringing chefs in from both Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi to helm the kitchen.
At Saigon Commune is where you’d find what is possibly the best value pho - rice noodles served with thinly sliced raw beef in an incredibly full-bodied soup in a large bowl priced at $19.
“The name of the restaurant says it all, it’s a commune where we will aim to feed you like you are family,” Wong added.