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Some of the Czech Republic’s most prominent restaurants are closing their doors—even as the overall number of food establishments reaches record highs.
High-profile closures over the past year include Prague’s Aureole, a fine-dining venue helmed by celebrity chef Emanuele Ridi; and the Vypich Canteen. More recently, Nejen Bistro in Prague and Noel—a Prague rooftop restaurant that lasted less than two months—have all ceased operations.
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Which restaurants are worst affected?
Due to their cost, fine-dining eateries have seen the highest proportion of closures. “Running a restaurant is a very difficult business in itself,” Jaroslav Svoboda, owner of Czech Inn Hotels, told Seznam Zprávy. “Add in rising costs, staffing shortages, and income that hasn’t returned to pre-Covid-19 levels—it’s a tough equation. One solution abroad is supporting restaurants through successful hotels, but many local hotels are scaling back under cost pressure.”
Despite the closures, the Czech restaurant industry is expanding in numbers. As of mid-2025, there are 24,867 legally registered catering businesses—up by 400 from last year and more than 3,200 above the total in pre-Covid 2019.
However, the growth is not evenly spread. Eateries near nightclubs and rural pubs continue to face declining attendance due to lower footfall, and restaurants aiming to serve both lunch and dinner are struggling to attract midday diners.
Price is a factor
Lunch prices in Czech restaurants have surged over 60 percent since 2020, driven by inflation, rising wages, and energy costs. As of March 2025, the national average reached CZK 194.2. Prague leads as the most expensive city at CZK 218, followed by Brno and České Budějovice, while Zlín remains the cheapest at CZK 169.
The sharp rise in lunch prices is largely attributed to broader economic pressures affecting the hospitality sector. High inflation, increased energy and food costs, and rising wages have all contributed to the upward trend.
Changing eating habits?
The way that people eat—the rising preference for quick service—is also reshaping the industry. “You can see the shift abroad—few pubs open for lunch and dinner,” Luboš Kastner, co-owner of the H5 Group that runs Prague’s Červený Jelen told Seznam Zprávy.
“We’ll see more evening-only openings here too, especially in smaller towns. At the same time, affordable, quality lunch spots—like in France or Poland—will become more common,” he added.
While 231 restaurants have closed so far this year, 622 new ventures have launched. These include fast-casual concepts like Pop Up ze Zátiší, which merges fine dining with fast service, and Bamico, a bistro focused on Vietnamese baguettes.
