Brussels, Belgium: All of the 21 fast food restaurants of “Bruno Foodcorner” in Limburg, in Flanders will be close between 00:00 and 05:00 from October 3 as well as cut 40 jobs. As per Luca Bruno, who is the retail manager for the Bruno Group, the move is ultimately motivated by the increasing price of energy.
The manager mentioned in the statement, “Energy prices have exploded, and it is not viable to keep our establishments open 24 a day.”
The majority of the businesses all over Belgium have seen a massive increase in their energy bills. The companies are now forced to suspend or reduce their activities to maintain profitability. The construction sector has been hit hard espacially, with several organisation shutting down production facilities, leading to most of redundancies.
Along with this, food retail is not immune to these pressures. Bruno stated that his chain’s bills had risen massively, which was ultimately forcing his hand.
The manager described, “In our store in Genk-Nord… we have recorded an additional energy cost of 50,000 over the last six months. This represents an additional 2.50 per pizza. Over the next three months, energy prices will increase tenfold, and it’s simply unaffordable.”
Furthermore, the Bruno Foodcorner stores, which are a cornerstone of late-night food in Limburg, will no longer serve fast food at night until March 31, 2023.
