That's a buzzkill!
Beer drinkers in the Big Apple could have to pay more than 13% more for a beer as congestion pricing increases costs for customers and businesses alike in some of Manhattan's busiest areas There is a gender.
Anheuser-Busch, whose brands include Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois and Corona, will increase the price of its kegs by $5 across the board for customers across New York City, a company sales representative told the Post this week. Ta.
The official said, “The cost of setting congestion pricing is incorporated into the delivery fee.''
This means bars will likely have to charge an extra dollar per pint to offset the price hike, and the industry giant said it was in the process of notifying customers. Ta.
“A 1,000 cut is death,” one Midtown beer drinker fumed about the impending price increase. “This is especially upsetting to me because this is just another cash grab for Albany,” he added.
Some beer fans said the spike in prices could turn them teetotalers.
“It's not worth it,” said Jay Bartel, 42, a customer at Tile Bar in the East Village. He says he only drinks Budweiser because it's cheap.
Lee Seinfeld, owner of the Upper West Side dive bar and three other spots, said the beer boondoggle is another “nail in New York's coffin” for the industry.
“This is going to be difficult for me, and I'm above 61st Street,” Seinfeld said. “Midtown bars are going to be really hurt,” Seinfeld said, noting that grocery prices have already increased 45% since the pandemic.
Off-peak tolls drop to $2.25, so some vendors are asking if they can accept deliveries after bars close at 4 a.m. to save dough.
Leonardo Muñoz
“$5 is too much,” said Eugene Wilson, owner of the West 48th Street Pig and Whistle Public House on West 48th Street.
Wilson said he hasn't been informed of the price increase yet, but he knows it's coming and is hesitant to increase the cost of frothers because “the price of beer is already going up.” .
Bud Light drafts at his watering hole, which attracts many Rockefeller Center visitors, cost $8, and Stella costs $10.
A representative for a major independent distributor said alcohol distributors are likely to follow Anheuser-Busch's lead.
Price hikes in the service industry can be seen across the board.
Andrew Riggy, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, told the Post that bar and restaurant suppliers have notified owners that congestion pricing will increase the price of beer and other products. It is said that they are doing so.
“This is exactly the scenario that small businesses were worried about,” he said. “The cost is passed on to them and they have to make the difficult decision whether they can eat it or do they have to pass it on to their customers.”
Cintas, a provider of uniforms, aprons and cleaning products, recently notified customers of price increases related to congestion charges from January 5th.
“As you know, the cost of doing business in New York City continues to increase,” Cintas said in a letter to customers.
“Despite Cintas' strategic efforts to absorb all of these cost increases, we plan to implement price adjustments to our service fees to offset the costs of continuing to operate in New York City.” Ta.
Food distribution company Cisco also notified businesses that it would add a $1 “congestion fee” on top of existing fuel charges for all deliveries within “affected areas,” the Post shared. This was revealed via email.
As of Jan. 5, drivers will have to pay $9 if they travel below 60th Street during peak hours.
Gov. Cathy Hochul reinstated a controversial congestion pricing plan in November that she claimed would help fund MTA upgrades and reduce congestion and pollution.
