Germany’s doner kebab becomes symbol of angst over rising costs

https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-doner-kebab-turkish-street-fast-food-inflation-angst-rising-costs/

by guyoffthegrid

42 comments

  1. “For long the doner kebab — invented by Turkish immigrants in West Berlin in the 1970s — served as a symbol of the cultural impact of Turkish immigration in Germany.

    But lately, because the dish has gotten considerably more expensive, the kebab has come to symbolize something else: pocketbook angst.

    [ … ]

    Since 2016, doner kebab prices in Germany have increased by 75 percent (compared to a 24 percent rise in overall inflation), according to one study based on Google reviews of kebab restaurants. The increase was particularly sharp in the past two years, with the average price rising from €5 in 2022 to €7 in 2024.

    [ … ]

    It’s become such an issue, that some politicians belonging to the far-left Die Linke, or the Left party, are calling for a “price brake” on the doner kebab.”

  3. Same in Lithuania.

    It went from 5euro to 8+

    Full on stopped buying them 😭,the doner shop near my house is pretty much going bankrupt right now.

  6. So why have kebab prices risen 51% more than inflation? The article didn’t do a good job apart from some fluff about the war and general inflation but that really doesn’t answer the question.

    Was it that they were always undervalued? I can’t imagine there’s price fixing at least not at the end of the chain where there’s a lot of independent stores, perhaps wholesalers at the upper end are putting the squeeze on.

    Perhaps also there is no longer the supply of cheap labour to keep costs low on running a kebab shop, and the traditional employees are demanding higher wages and better lifestyles.

    It’s probably a mixture of many factors. Instead of just complaining and calling for easy solutions why don’t people look at it in detail.

  9. The cost of kebab in my city started at € 3.00, then went up to € 3.50 after a couple of years, and now it’s at € 4.50 in a shop (+50%) and € 5.00 in another one (+66%). I don’t know how the situation is in the rest of Italy.

  10. I stopped getting them, it’s just not worth it anymore

  11. I stopped getting them because I learnt they are extremely unhealthy.

  12. I’d pay 5€ for late night food poisoning but not 8€

  13. Becomes? Always has been. We literally calculate expenses on fun based on how many Döners one can afford with it. Going to the cinema? 2.5 Döners. We even estimate inflation/cost of living in our area based on the cost of Döner and if the Döner store is skimping on ingredients.

  14. Nearly every food item has blown up way more than inflation. Except for brands, because they were already overpriced to begin with (so like, my 1€ blank brand burgers now cost 2€, and the 5€ brand ones now cost 6€).

    Restaurants and fast foods have blown up too. Long gone the days of 1€ burger at McDonald’s. I remember when a Giant by Quick costed 3€. Or when some frituurs served a ‘small’ pack of fries for 1€. I’m 25, I shouldn’t be sounding like a boomer saying this. I’ve never known something else than the euro.

    So yeah, döner kebab hasn’t been spared. Give me back my 2€ Brinta please!

    I’ll probably be told this is inflation. Yeah, it sort of is. Except I’ve always lived in the poorest bracket, *maybe* I’m in 2% poorest instead of 1% poorest of Belgium now. I can’t quite care much about restaurants – it’s a once a month thing ; car fuel – can’t afford a car ; electricity – I have some social pricing thanks to the incredible Belgian welfare, and I’ve done my best to use the least of it possible. Rent is bad, but even rent hasn’t gone as crazy as food. And these two things are two things I literally can’t live without. I’m already purchasing the cheapest blank brands.

    It’s terrifying. Every time I do groceries, I wonder what I purchased that made it so expensive. I have 300€ per month more than I used to have, but don’t save any extra. With everyone speaking of investing your savings, needing to plan for your future, retirement, …, I’m worried, because that’s just not doable. Will there still be this social security net in a decade or two?

    I’m probably paranoid and overly emotional. But it’s justified, the kapsalon is in the same boat as the döner.

  15. Wtf is that picture??? That looks like a caricature of bad photoshopping

  16. Grocerie in Austria: sometimes twice as expensive as in Germany 

    Döner in Austria: 4,50-6€ most places
    3,50 in the bad part of town 
    2,50 if you’re really, really daring

    I’m convinced that food prices don’t follow any supply-demand laws but are instead mostly based on what-can-the-customer-afford calculations by cartels

  20. 10€ in some cities on France, up to 12-14€ if you want the menu (french fries + soft drink)

  22. I guess from now on we all should assume that german economy and happiness is based on kebabs. I wonder if neighbouring countries should consider trading in kebabs now – like 2000 kebabs for a car.

  23. It’s a meme, but I wish for that price it was actually decent. But quality around here got so bad. Haven’t eaten one in a few years even tho there are at least 4 shops within like 10m of me.

  24. I bought my first Döner Kebab for 5 DM (Deutsche Mark). That’s about 2,50€. Last week I paid for a Döner 8€. We call it Dönerflation (Döner-Inflation).

  25. Paris, from 6€ with fries and drink to 10€, 9€ if cheap…

    In country side, I even knew 4,5€ kebab with fries…

  27. Paid yesterday for türkische Pizza and Dönerteller and 2 ayran 21€ 🤦🏻🤦🏻

  28. Before € it was like 15Fr (2,2€) in France.

    Last Time I bought a kebab was 2 years ago and it cost me 8€.

    Pretty expensive for junkfood

  29. * laughs in Italian *

    Here the average price still is 4,50€ and you can even find places that make kebab for 1,50€.

  32. I still have a Döner for 5€ near me. Others are 7+ €

  33. I used to buy a very good Döner from my favourite place virtually every week on the way home from my Sunday shift for a long time. Was about 6,50-7€ before Covid.

    Afterwards, the price has increased to now 10€. I had like three Döners in total since 2021.

    The inflation calculation is a joke because all the daily necessities are increasing disproportionately and everyone has to buy them, while the increase in luxury item prices has slowed down.

  34. Don’t know which is funnier, döner becoming a symbol of angst over inflation in Germany, or döner being more expensive in Turkey than in Germany because of the horrible inflation in Turkey?

  35. In Milan you can find places where a doner kebab costs 2€, wouldn’t recommend eating it though…

  36. In Belgium, 4 years ago the kebab place around the corner had big kebabs for 4 euro. Now they’re 8.5. I stopped getting them when they were 7. I buy frozen kebab meat and make my own kebabs.

  37. What I learned from this thread. People get very emotional over defending their local doner and their rising price. 😂

  38. How much of the price increase is due to food delivery apps, which tend to charge ~30% of the list price and forbid the shops of having different prices on the app and in store?

  39. I don’t mind cheap food. Especially in today’s economic climate! Döner however is for what you get still relatively cheap compared to all other meals. How come?

  40. Can anyone get that guy back that said he is gonna make Döner 3,50€ again?

  41. If you have to stand in line for it, then the price is justified. Basic economic law

  42. >The German capital is the birthplace of that ubiquitous European fast food, the doner kebab.

    You say what now?

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