July 20, 2018 · Team HG
AAmsterdam is once again the most expensive city for outdoor terraces in the Netherlands. The average price for a round of drinks on a terrace in our capital is €25.10, which is 3.5% higher than last year. Nationally, the average terrace price rose by 2.5% this year to €22.64. Zwolle is, just like last year, the cheapest city to enjoy a drink on a terrace. These results come from the annual terrace survey by Van Spronsen & Partners horeca-advies.
The annual survey of the price of a round on a terrace (2 coffees, 2 soft drinks, 2 beers, and 2 rosé) shows that Amsterdam is the most expensive city for terraces for the fourth year in a row. A round costs
€25.10. This is not surprising given the fact that real estate and rental prices here are significantly higher than elsewhere in the country. The Hague is in second place, followed by ’s-Hertogenbosch and Haarlem. Rotterdam rose three places and completes the top five.
The price of a small glass has risen more sharply this year than the purchase price of beer, according to the research. This is in contrast to previous years, when the increase in the purchase price was not fully passed on to the Dutch consumer. Last year, the purchase price of beer rose by approximately 2.5%. Hospitality entrepreneurs, on the other hand, raised the price of a small glass by 3.5%. Over the past five years, the purchase price of beer rose by 20.9%, while the price in the hospitality sector was increased by an average of only 12.7%.
The biggest risers this year are Leiden and Utrecht, both cities climbing five places. In Leiden, prices are 4.2% higher than last year, and in Utrecht 4.7%. ’s-Hertogenbosch (+4.5%) and Rotterdam (+4.4%) were also well above the national average of 2.4%. In Nijmegen, Arnhem, and Enschede, the surveyed prices remained virtually unchanged.
In Zwolle, a round of drinks on a terrace is the most affordable. The difference between the Hanseatic city and Amsterdam is €3.75. Rosé lovers, in particular, are best off heading to Zwolle, where the average price is €3.50. The traditional flute beer is cheapest in Almere (€2.40), and in Enschede, you can enjoy a relatively cheap coffee for €2.18. Soft drinks are most affordable in Maastricht, where a glass of cola will set you back €2.33.
As in previous years, ‘terrace purchasing power’ is lowest in Groningen. This is determined by comparing the average disposable income of residents against terrace prices. Residents in Groningen have a ‘terrace purchasing power’ of an average of 18.7 rounds per week. Breda has the highest ‘terrace purchasing power’, where one can order an average of 23.5 rounds per week. The average ‘terrace purchasing power’ across all measured cities is 21 rounds per week.
Sales of specialty beers continue to rise. Weizen, white, and blond beers are particularly popular. Radlers and rosé beers are also doing well on terraces, as are locally brewed beers. However, the strongest growth in the beer segment is coming from a different angle: alcohol-free beer. Consumption of this rose by 24.7 percent last year (source: Nederlandse Brouwers).
Aperol Spritz and Gin & Tonic have now become commonplace on many Dutch terraces. Other non-alcoholic drinks that are doing well are homemade lemonades, iced coffees, iced teas, and smoothies.
