How a $13 chicken sandwich has exposed Lebanon's deepening inequality

A $13 chicken sandwich has sparked a debate over inequality in Lebanon, where four in five households struggle to afford basic necessities even as some consumers continue to pay premium prices, Reuters reported.Beirut’s 'The Glow Paradise' restaurant sold more than 20,000 of its “Chic Taouk” sandwiches in 11 days, according to managing partner Hrag Jeghalian. Marketed as a healthier version of the popular shish taouk wrap, the sandwich costs nearly twice as much as a regular version in the city.Critics accused the restaurant of overcharging, while others argued that it was catering to customers who could afford it. Jeghalian described the social media controversy as “natural marketing”.The contrasting reactions highlight the divide between those still able to spend freely and households struggling seven years after Lebanon’s financial collapse. Economist Sami Nader of Saint Joseph University of Beirut said the restaurant crowds did not reflect conditions across the economy.“So you see people in the restaurant, but what you don't see is that 22 restaurants closed last month,” he told Reuters. Some social media users questioned why the sandwich had attracted so much attention while Lebanon faced electricity and water shortages and Israel’s occupation of large parts of its south.The country’s economy has shrunk by nearly 40 per cent since 2019, according to the World Bank. Decades of corruption and excessive government spending led to the financial collapse, while subsequent conflicts have deepened the crisis.The World Bank expects inflation to reach 17.5 per cent as higher global energy and shipping costs push up prices.Nader told Reuters that Lebanon’s middle class had “disappeared” after successive crises, including the financial collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion and two wars in under two years.Electricity bills have added to the pressure. Private generator rates rose nearly 20 per cent in August and were almost 60 per cent higher than in February.With grid outages forcing homes and businesses to rely on generators, round-the-clock power can cost several hundred dollars a month in a country where the minimum wage is $400.- Ends