They are charging a premium price because they anticipate (correctly or not) that the demand will be greater during the Chanukah period and perhaps a few days before and after. Peak demand pricing is a standard market practice whether on the bridge/highway tolls during rush hour, airfares to EY around yom tovim, hotel rooms in Florida for Pesach etc.
I’m glad some smaller merchants, who have been squeezed out during two years of Covid lockdowns and restrictions are using variable pricing to capture additional margins where they have some pricing power. They don’t have to cost-justify the surcharge. Its a free market and a caterer or simcha hall is not a public utility.
Pay the extra charge and enjoy you simcha.
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