Why a mug of beer in a bar costs from 200 rubles, at a cost of 50: I figure out what kind of markups for alcohol in cafes and bars and where does the state

Have you ever wondered why alcohol prices are so high in bars and restaurants? Here, my friends and I were very interested in this, so we delved into articles and legislation that would shed light on this difficult issue.

In fact, I believed for a long time that there are a large number of restrictions that force owners to keep such prices. However, in reality, everything turned out to be a little more prosaic.

Now I will try to tell what we found out in the course of our investigation about mark-ups and acceptable prices for alcohol. Perhaps this information will be useful to someone.

What is in the law about the price of alcohol

After a meticulous study of the “Consultant” program, I found the law that regulates the sale of alcohol. This is the Federal Law of November 22.11.1995, 171 N XNUMX-FZ. However, I did not see specific markups or price restrictions there. In principle, the whole law boils down to the following points:

1. Requirements for the area and location of catering points that have the right to sell alcohol.
2. Limiting the sale of alcoholic products by time and more.

Important! If we consider the issue of prices, then in the Russian Federation there is a minimum price for the sale of alcoholic products of various categories, as well as the cost of a license, which an organization must have (its cost is regulated by the Tax Code).

Federal law governing the sale of alcoholic beverages.

At the same time, the MRP (the minimum retail price for alcoholic products) can change every year – it all depends on the amendments that are made to the law.

What is the price of the purchase of alcoholic beverages

As it turned out, finding the answer to this question is very difficult. Not every restaurant is ready to publicly share information about their income, and even more so about suppliers and purchases.

However, in my searches, I came across an interesting interview with one of the largest bars in St. Petersburg, “I want to go to Siberia,” which slightly opened the veil of this mystery.

The purchase and markup depend not only on suppliers and the desired income of the restaurant, but also on the category of alcoholic beverage. So, for example, a bottle/mug of wheat beer costs 35-60 rubles on average (and they sell it to us for 200 rubles).

If we calculate the cost of one shot of vodka, then this price will not exceed 45 rubles, and a portion of tincture will be 50-60 rubles.

More expensive drinks, such as foreign port wine, can be purchased at a price of 280 rubles per serving. Thus, it turns out that restaurants, for the most part, receive the most profitable and “delicious” offers from suppliers. Then where do these prices come from?

Is there a minimum and maximum markup regulated by the state

As I said earlier, I did not find such information in any legislation. The only norm for the price of alcohol that cannot be violated is the MRP (minimum retail price).

It establishes legislation for each type of product, depending on the content of ethyl alcohol, the volume of the bottle and the category of the drink.

Attention! So, for example, the minimum retail price for 0,5 vodka is 230 rubles, whiskey – 315 rubles, cognac – 433 rubles per 0,5 liter. It is enough for bars and restaurants to comply with these conditions, which in practice is very simple.

The mark-up remains at the discretion of the catering. According to the owners of the bar “I want to Siberia”, it ranges from 50 to 300%, depending on the conditions of the supplier, brand and consumer demand.

What does the state have to do with the sale of alcohol?

But one should not think that a restaurant or bar pays nothing for the sale of alcohol. A prerequisite that allows you to carry out this activity is the presence of an alcohol license.

The tax code regulates the cost of such a document. At the moment, the license price is 65 rubles per year. If you look more broadly, then with any sales of the restaurant, the owners also pay taxes (including alcohol sales).

Their amount depends on the chosen taxation system: USN and UTII are the most popular options among catering establishments. UTII involves the payment of 15% of the estimated income (there is a special calculation system), and the simplified tax system – 6% of the restaurant’s income or 5-15% by the amount of income minus expenses.

In my opinion, such legislative norms allow bars and restaurants to freely sell alcohol without much loss and without a markup of 300%. The state also stays with the money – so everyone wins, except for us – consumers.

What do you think: are there any restrictions on the mark-up on alcohol? Or will the bars then have to close due to unprofitability?