Restaurants, food companies try to hold prices steady even as costs rise

The Yomiuri Shimbun At a Chateraise store in Aoba Ward, Yokohama, a board has been set up informing customers that the store intends to keep prices unchanged. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

In the midst of a rush to hike prices as the costs of raw materials and transportation soar, some restaurant chains and food manufacturers are trying to maintain or even lower the prices of their products, in the hope of expanding the number of stores and increasing sales by giving customers a sense of value.