In Saida, Sawt Beirut International’s reporter, Sarah Chehade, has highlighted the price of one “Shawarma” sandwich, which rose from LBP 4,000 to almost LBP 30,000 today. In her report, she has also revealed how shawarma snacks and restaurants were hit by these skyrocketing prices, and wondered if a family of 7 is still able to afford Shawarma sandwiches for lunch.

In this regard, an owner of a Shawarma snack confirmed: “I opened my restaurant two years ago. A medium Shawarma sandwich was LBP 4,000, while the large sandwich was LBP 7,000, as the dollar exchange rate was set at LBP 1,500. Nowadays, a Shawarma sandwich amounts to LBP 26,000. Given the current economic crisis, my only objective is to ensure the employees’ wages that have certainly increased. The lunch of the poor had been a Shawarma sandwich, but unfortunately only 20% of the people can afford it today. A kilo of chicken before Ramadan was LBP 25,000 and a kilo of meat was LBP 60,000. During Eid season, chicken reached LBP 55,000 , and meat price was set at LBP 110,000.”

“I’m putting all my efforts to ensure the best quality of the products, and to boost my reputation in the market,” he added, highlighting the prices of the products according to the dollar rate, including plates, paper, bags, pickles, etc.

“The problem is that merchants are being ruthless to the people, and to the officials, I say, God is watching everything,” he said.

All sectors are significantly impacted in Lebanon and, if restaurants keep struggling, their destiny is threatened and citizens will face difficulty keeping up in light of the challenging economic situation.