With new curfew timings of 10 pm - 5 am, it is going to be a very difficult time for the restaurant sector. We somehow survived so far, but with the new guidelines, it seems highly unlikely that we can sustain any longer. We were shut for much of last year. We have been operating at 50 percent and restricted hours since then. We had just about started seeing a respectable surge in consumption which prompted us to hire back our people and now we are left in a lurch. Curfew at 10 pm implies that we will have to shut our restaurants at 9 pm for people to reach their homes by 10 pm which prohibits dining completely,” Kabir Suri, Vice-President of NRAI and Co-Founder Director, Azure Hospitality.
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Dining out contributes to 80 percent of restaurant revenues, with most restaurants operating at 50 percent capacity. Most restaurants are taking Covid-safe measures by adopting contactless tech in their daily operations to ensure the least possible contact. About the rise in cases, he reassured the Delhi Government that the restaurant sector would extend full support in fighting the pandemic and ensure that all safety protocols and guidelines were followed.
Ankit Mehrotra, CEO Co-founder, Dineout said, “Delhi's night curfew is going to severely impact the state’s FB industry. These measures to close dining out at night will leave no room for their survival. It’s high time that the government acknowledges the loss and steps in to bail out the industry from this collapse.”
Pradeep Pruthi, Managing Director, My Bar Punjabi Bagh commented, “There is a hope that food delivery still continues. That will be a small recovery in this time of crisis. In fact, job losses for class four staff seem inevitable now.” The question of salaries and rentals has resurfaced again. However, not to forget that the proposal of night curfew comes against the backdrop of a Delhi Police crackdown against banquet halls, restaurants, and night clubs over Covid violations.
News Courtesy: ET
