It's gotten more expensive!

How much do you think a chicken cutlet should cost before you’re willing to buy it? Pike Chicken Cutlet recently announced that due to rising raw material costs, prices will go up by 5 NT dollars starting January 20, increasing from 60 to 65 NT dollars per cutlet — sparking heated discussion among netizens.

On its Facebook fan page, Pike Chicken Cutlet wrote, “Raising prices is truly our last resort; shops are just trying to survive in this environment. Maybe everyone can try taking 100 NT dollars to the supermarket and see what vegetables you can buy with that!” They also mentioned that the shop will occasionally hold promotional events to give back to customers.

In response, some netizens showed support, saying things like “I can still accept a slight price increase for something delicious,” and “There are many chicken cutlets worse than Pike’s that are even more expensive. I think 65 NT is reasonable and acceptable.” However, others shot back with comments like “You didn’t lower prices when raw material costs dropped before,” and “I’m boycotting it!”

Pike Chicken Cutlet responded to netizens by saying, “We only raised prices for the first time on February 1, 2016 — from 55 to 60 NT dollars. Others had already raised theirs to 70 NT dollars back in 2015. Now, in 2018, we’ve only gone up to 65 NT dollars, while others remain at 70 NT. Are they just more patient, or are we?” and “When the cost of chicken or other materials jumped by 8 NT dollars from 25 NT, then dropped by 3 NT, rose slightly by 5 NT, dropped by 3 NT again, then surged by 8 NT before falling by 5 NT, the ups and downs may seem significant, but has it really ever gone back down? It’s only ever gone up, never down. That’s why people feel there’s no real reduction.”

Aside from Pike Chicken Cutlet, the well-known “Devil’s Chicken Cutlet” shop also announced a price hike of 10 NT dollars starting February 1, varying by region based on local chicken prices.

Pike Chicken Cutlet price increased to 65 NT dollars (Photo / Screenshot from Facebook “Pike Chicken Cutlet Guanghua Store”)

Devil’s Chicken Cutlet price increased by 10 NT dollars (Photo / Screenshot from Facebook “Devil’s Chicken Cutlet”)