Restaurants add ‘LPG surcharge’ to bills as cooking gas concerns hit kitchens

Restaurants add ‘LPG surcharge’ to bills as cooking gas shortage hits kitchens

• Restaurants add LPG surcharges due to cooking gas shortages
• Commercial LPG prices increase due to supply issues in Indian cities
• Menu prices and surcharges reflect higher fuel costs for diners

Did our AI summary help?

Restaurants in parts of India have begun adding temporary “LPG surcharge” fees to customer bills as a tightening supply of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) forces operators to pass on rising fuel costs.

Bills circulating online show eateries adding separate line items such as “LPG revision” or “gas supply issue” charges on food orders — a sign that the ongoing cooking gas disruption is beginning to reach diners.

A receipt from Chennai-based Hotel Annavaasal reviewed by Moneycontrol shows a Rs 15 “LPG revision” charge added to a parcel order of sambar rice priced at Rs 70, taking the total bill to Rs 85. In another instance shared online, a Bengaluru restaurant bill included a Rs 30 “gas supply issue” charge alongside the food order.

Some restaurants have also opted to revise menu prices instead of adding separate surcharges. Bengaluru’s Krishna Vaibhava restaurant temporarily increased prices by around Rs 5 to Rs 10 across several items, citing the shortage of LPG cylinders and rising cooking gas costs.

The price adjustments come as restaurant kitchens across several Indian cities grapple with disruptions in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders, triggered by the ongoing Israel–Iran war, which has affected LPG shipments from the Middle East — a key source of India’s cooking gas imports.

Moneycontrol reported earlier that restaurants in cities such as Bengaluru and Mumbai had begun receiving only a fraction of their usual LPG deliveries from March 9, forcing kitchens to scramble for refills and rethink operations.

The disruption has also pushed up the cost of commercial LPG. Industry participants say the price of 19-kg commercial cylinders has climbed to around Rs 2,100–Rs 2,300, compared with roughly Rs 1,650 a month ago.

ALSO READ: Goodbye dosa, hello sandwiches: Bengaluru restaurants turn to ‘jugaad’ amid LPG crisis

Restaurant industry groups have warned that prolonged supply disruptions could force operators to adjust menus, cut fuel-intensive dishes or pass on higher costs to customers.

Earlier this week, the National Restaurant Association of India issued an advisory asking its member restaurants to conserve gas usage, rationalise menus and explore electric cooking alternatives to manage the shortage.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has said LPG supply is being prioritised for household consumers and essential sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions amid the ongoing supply constraints.

With restaurants operating on tight fuel cycles and limited ability to store cylinders, operators say even short supply disruptions can quickly ripple through kitchen operations — and increasingly, onto customer bills.