Braised pork rice chain Formosa Chang raises prices on 48 menu items

Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) Prices at Formosa Chang (鬍鬚張) rose on Monday, a day after the Taiwanese restaurant chain -- famous for its braised minced pork on rice -- announced it would raise prices on 48 menu items due to higher raw material and operating costs.

In a news release, Formosa Chang said it decided to adjust prices on some items after a careful review, citing continued increases in costs related to raw materials, labor and environmental compliance, despite efforts to absorb the impact through internal measures and operational optimization.

The price adjustments average 3.8 percent, including the chain's signature Taiwanese braised pork rice, which rose from NT$66 (US$2.08) to NT$71 for a small bowl. The chicken bento box increased from NT$85 to NT$89, while the crispy chicken leg bento went up from NT$135 to NT$140.

According to its website, Formosa Chang was founded in 1960 by Chang Yan-chuan (張炎泉) as a street food stall selling traditional Taiwanese snacks at Shuanglian Market on Minsheng West Road in Taipei. The business quickly grew and later expanded to more than 70 locations across New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and Taichung.

Other than Formosa Chang, coffeehouse chain Louisa Coffee also recently raised prices on 90 items, citing the higher cost of ingredients, wages and utilities.