FIPE, the Italian service industry Federation, reports that Italian restaurants did well during the recent New Years Eve celebrations, despite the financial crisis. There was, in fact, a very small drop in the number of clients who chose to bring in the New Year with the traditional feast, frills and fireworks offered by restaurants all over the country. Just under 63,000 restaurants were open on San Silvestro Night (New Years Eve), or 82.6% of the total - an increase of 6.8% over the number offering a New Years Eve banquet the previous year. 62% maintained the same prices as last year for the evening packet, while 28.6% actually lowered their prices. Costs were also kept down with the choice of the midnight toast, no longer being offered in French champagne but almost exclusively in Italian spumante, which was served in eight out of ten restaurants. The average price per head for the San Silvestro banquet was 83,50 euro ďż˝ almost 7% less than in 2007.
