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Amazing. 11 USD for a döner! A döner is between 2.5 and 5.0 EUR in Berlin (roughly 2.75 to 5.5 USD). That's takeaway or eat in at a place with a few tables bu

Amazing. 11 USD for a döner! A döner is between 2.5 and 5.0 EUR in Berlin (roughly 2.75 to 5.5 USD). That's takeaway or eat in at a place with a few tables but w/o table service. Meraba, which uses high quality organic meat from the region, comparable to the quality of the protein stated in the article, asks 4.5 EUR. A whole plate is 10 EUR.[1] If order to your doorstep it's 6.5 EUR.[2] [1] https://www.top10berlin.de/en/cat/eating-257/kebab-shops-2303/meraba-neuland-doner-2801#1 https://www.top10berlin.de/en/cat/eating-257/kebab-shops-230... [2] https://www.lieferando.de/en/meraba https://www.lieferando.de/en/meraba

bistro 6y ago
Not a huge difference, but it's actually 11 CAD, so closer to 7 EUR.
- lstamour 6y ago
  Though tax is on charged separately in Canada, so probably closer to 8 EUR. I’ll admit, in Canada, assuming you’re in a busy part of town, I’ve gotten used to the idea that a fulfilling meal out costs $15-25. The only way I’ve been able to reduce prices further than that is to use a service like MealPal or stack discounts from credit cards and app cash back to get another 10-12% off or so. Not to say there aren’t cheaper places to eat at, but I’d have to drive a bit of a distance to get there. Land/rent really is too damn high everywhere “walkable”... The cheapest places in town are always the ones that have been there “forever” or have the smallest, sketchiest locations, but still have lineups around the block, or they’re simply fast food with coupons.
patothon 6y ago
11 dollars is probably in SF or NYC where average pay is 2 to 3x the one in Berlin.
- ekianjo 6y ago
  Inflated by rent costs for sure, but the food cost part has to be cheaper in SF than Berlin.
- jbay808 6y ago
  This is in Ottawa.
wozniacki 6y ago
But isn't it cash-only at even most established joints in Germany much less mom and pop immigrant-run hole-in-the-walls? My friend tells me even vape shops that sell hundreds of dollars of gear are cash only. We have plenty of those in our ethnic neighborhoods. Heck even some very successful joints like Rosamunde Sausage Grill in the Mission District (S.F.) were cash-only until a couple of years ago, when I last went there. Most other places accept cards & thus have to factor that into the price of the offerings.
- zwirbl 6y ago
  But how does cashless pay make it cost a few bucks per serving more? If it is that, why would anyone offer cashless payment? Most Döner and other Street Foods in Austria are cash only, but that's not the reason a typically priced Döner costs ~5€
  - freeone3000 6y ago
    Cash-only means no card reader rental, which saves a couple hundred per month and at least 5% of every transaction, and possibly no internet bill, either... But you can't go cash-only because so few people carry cash, that our would drive out your sales.
    - zdkl 6y ago
      5% per tx?! Remember, in Europe debit is way more common than credit and the fees are capped.
    - tomatocracy 6y ago
      Banks charge for handling large volumes of cash though - can be as high as 2% I think; and as others have said 5% is way way more than you'd be paying to accept card payments. If anything the economic incentives are towards going completely cashless these days.
    - distances 6y ago
      > at least 5% of every transaction In EU 0.3% or 0.2% depending on card type: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-payments-cards-idUSKBN0JV2SV20141218 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-payments-cards-idUSKBN...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
Schweigi 6y ago
I would argue Berlin has some of the cheapest food in Europe. Though to be honest the food quality of the 2.5 EUR Döners is usually questionable and I'm not sure how they can turn any profit or actually live from it.
- dimatura 6y ago
  While on a work trip to Berlin, I walked into a random lebanese place in Neukolln to get a quick bite. Looked at the price of a shawarma - 2 euros - and thought, damn, this is going to be awful. But I was in a hurry and got one (actually two, in case they were tiny) anyway. Not only were they not tiny, to this day the best shawarma I've had.
- jdietrich 6y ago
  Commercial rents are still insanely low in Berlin. Low fixed costs and high turnover make a low-margin business viable, hence the proliferation of food trucks in Tier 1 US cities.
2019-nCoV 6y ago
Throw in a cold Lagerbier (€2) to wash it down with and the contrast is even more sobering.
mgsk 6y ago
I honestly thought that was cheap, and that the answer to the problem was: charge more. I would pay $15 for that doner. Looks delicious.
- distances 6y ago
  And for $15 in Berlin you would expect a main course, glass of wine, and espresso in a decent sit-down place, tips included.
  - ido 6y ago
    $15 CA is €9.50...The meal you describe would still cost more than that, maybe $20 CA & that would be the cheaper end of the spectrum (€7 Mittagsmenü, €3 wine, €1.5 espresso + 10% tip, then convert € to $CA). If you're in central business locations in Mitte or Charlottenburg it would be more than that. That said you have very cheap options for Turkish, Arab or Vietnamese food in other districts like Neukölln. One of the best benefits I had when self-employed was the cheap & decent "ethnic" food options I had near the coworking space I chose in Neukölln vs having to go to the office in an expensive part of Mitte.
    - distances 6y ago
      Right, I was thinking USD so ~13€. For that you have a nice main, wine, and coffee in half the ethnic places of Berlin. Not in Mitte as you said though. As a side note, I don't know anyone actually tipping 10%. At this price range usually it's rounded to next full euro.
      - ido 6y ago
        I try to tip at least 10-15% and in cash as the waiters for sure earn less than I do & honestly the extra Euro or 2 make 0 difference to a well compensated software developer.
gladskdks 6y ago
The same in Zurich would cost 10-15USD. Some places would do a plate for 15USD. Prices really do vary wildly across Europe.

bistro 6y ago

Not a huge difference, but it's actually 11 CAD, so closer to 7 EUR.

lstamour 6y ago
Though tax is on charged separately in Canada, so probably closer to 8 EUR. I’ll admit, in Canada, assuming you’re in a busy part of town, I’ve gotten used to the idea that a fulfilling meal out costs $15-25. The only way I’ve been able to reduce prices further than that is to use a service like MealPal or stack discounts from credit cards and app cash back to get another 10-12% off or so. Not to say there aren’t cheaper places to eat at, but I’d have to drive a bit of a distance to get there. Land/rent really is too damn high everywhere “walkable”... The cheapest places in town are always the ones that have been there “forever” or have the smallest, sketchiest locations, but still have lineups around the block, or they’re simply fast food with coupons.

patothon 6y ago

11 dollars is probably in SF or NYC where average pay is 2 to 3x the one in Berlin.

ekianjo 6y ago
Inflated by rent costs for sure, but the food cost part has to be cheaper in SF than Berlin.
jbay808 6y ago
This is in Ottawa.

wozniacki 6y ago

But isn't it cash-only at even most established joints in Germany much less mom and pop immigrant-run hole-in-the-walls? My friend tells me even vape shops that sell hundreds of dollars of gear are cash only. We have plenty of those in our ethnic neighborhoods. Heck even some very successful joints like Rosamunde Sausage Grill in the Mission District (S.F.) were cash-only until a couple of years ago, when I last went there. Most other places accept cards & thus have to factor that into the price of the offerings.

zwirbl 6y ago
But how does cashless pay make it cost a few bucks per serving more? If it is that, why would anyone offer cashless payment? Most Döner and other Street Foods in Austria are cash only, but that's not the reason a typically priced Döner costs ~5€
- freeone3000 6y ago
  Cash-only means no card reader rental, which saves a couple hundred per month and at least 5% of every transaction, and possibly no internet bill, either... But you can't go cash-only because so few people carry cash, that our would drive out your sales.
  - zdkl 6y ago
    5% per tx?! Remember, in Europe debit is way more common than credit and the fees are capped.
  - tomatocracy 6y ago
    Banks charge for handling large volumes of cash though - can be as high as 2% I think; and as others have said 5% is way way more than you'd be paying to accept card payments. If anything the economic incentives are towards going completely cashless these days.
  - distances 6y ago
    > at least 5% of every transaction In EU 0.3% or 0.2% depending on card type: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-payments-cards-idUSKBN0JV2SV20141218 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-payments-cards-idUSKBN...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

Schweigi 6y ago

I would argue Berlin has some of the cheapest food in Europe. Though to be honest the food quality of the 2.5 EUR Döners is usually questionable and I'm not sure how they can turn any profit or actually live from it.

dimatura 6y ago
While on a work trip to Berlin, I walked into a random lebanese place in Neukolln to get a quick bite. Looked at the price of a shawarma - 2 euros - and thought, damn, this is going to be awful. But I was in a hurry and got one (actually two, in case they were tiny) anyway. Not only were they not tiny, to this day the best shawarma I've had.
jdietrich 6y ago
Commercial rents are still insanely low in Berlin. Low fixed costs and high turnover make a low-margin business viable, hence the proliferation of food trucks in Tier 1 US cities.

2019-nCoV 6y ago

Throw in a cold Lagerbier (€2) to wash it down with and the contrast is even more sobering.

mgsk 6y ago

I honestly thought that was cheap, and that the answer to the problem was: charge more. I would pay $15 for that doner. Looks delicious.

distances 6y ago
And for $15 in Berlin you would expect a main course, glass of wine, and espresso in a decent sit-down place, tips included.
- ido 6y ago
  $15 CA is €9.50...The meal you describe would still cost more than that, maybe $20 CA & that would be the cheaper end of the spectrum (€7 Mittagsmenü, €3 wine, €1.5 espresso + 10% tip, then convert € to $CA). If you're in central business locations in Mitte or Charlottenburg it would be more than that. That said you have very cheap options for Turkish, Arab or Vietnamese food in other districts like Neukölln. One of the best benefits I had when self-employed was the cheap & decent "ethnic" food options I had near the coworking space I chose in Neukölln vs having to go to the office in an expensive part of Mitte.
  - distances 6y ago
    Right, I was thinking USD so ~13€. For that you have a nice main, wine, and coffee in half the ethnic places of Berlin. Not in Mitte as you said though. As a side note, I don't know anyone actually tipping 10%. At this price range usually it's rounded to next full euro.
    - ido 6y ago
      I try to tip at least 10-15% and in cash as the waiters for sure earn less than I do & honestly the extra Euro or 2 make 0 difference to a well compensated software developer.

gladskdks 6y ago

The same in Zurich would cost 10-15USD. Some places would do a plate for 15USD. Prices really do vary wildly across Europe.