Not only is inflation having an impact on our heating bills, grocery shopping and the price of eating out – it is also driving up the costs faced by our community catering services. The ETH Executive Board has had no other choice but to agree to price increases across its catering operations.
Swiss community catering services continue to be buffeted by soaring purchasing costs. Following an initial price adjustment two years ago, a number of institutions and universities in Switzerland, including neighbouring UZH, have been forced to raise their canteen prices again over the course of 2023. ETH Zurich’s caterers are also under cost pressure. They have had no other choice but to raise the prices of the meals on offer in the three large catering establishments – Polyterrasse, FUSION meal and food market – with effect from the start of the semester.
New prices from 19 February
As of 19 February 2024, students will pay CHF 0.50 more for basic vegetarian meals in these canteens; meat dishes willincrease by CHF 1.00 for students. The prices for employees will be increased by CHF 1.60 for all basic meals.
Soaring costs, falling revenue
All caterers have reported that costs have risen to such an extent that they can no longer be absorbed by strategic purchasing and the optimisation of internal processes. In addition to rising energy costs and food prices, staff costs have soared owing to the fluctuation in the workforce brought about by Covid-19 and the resulting staff shortage.
In terms of revenue, guest numbers have not recovered since the pandemic. “Now that many employees work part of the time from home, we unfortunately do not expect a return to the numbers we enjoyed prior to 2020,” explains Stefan Spiegel, ETH Vice President for Finance and Controlling, who is responsible for catering operations. This shortfall in revenue cannot be compensated by the number of student guests, especially since employees pay a higher price for their meals and thereby generate more revenue per visit.
General cost-cutting measures are also a factor pushing down catering revenue. “Departments are organising far fewer events followed by aperitifs; and any catering events that are held are more modest than in the past,” Spiegel continues. This means that a key source of compensation for any deficits in catering operations is on the decline.
Price increases unavoidable
"The Executive Board is fully aware that students depend on access to reasonably priced catering services,” Spiegel says. This is why it has subjected the necessary adjustments to very close examination and weighed them up carefully. Given the cost-cutting measures taken by the federal government, it has not been possible to cover the looming deficit using subsidies alone. One of the consequences has been that some of these costs will have to be passed onto guests.
Given the current financial situation, the Executive Board has been unable to comply with VSETH representatives’ request to leave meal prices for students unchanged. “We did nevertheless make a conscious effort to ensure that students were subjected to lower price increases than employees,” Spiegel continues, with regard to the Executive Board’s decision. The prices of student meals still remain low when compared with other universities.
There is to be no reduction in the variety and quality of meals on offer – something that is very much in keeping with guests’ wishes. Regular guest surveys reveal that ETH members are in favour of a balanced, varied and – more importantly – sustainable diet. The representatives of AVETH (Academic Association of Scientific Staff), PeKo (Staff Commission), KdL (Lecturers’ Conference) and VSETH (Union of Students at ETH Zurich) have also spoken out in favour of the importance of the above qualitative factors.