Unlock fed no hope to restaurants

Ahmedabad/Vadodara/Surat/ Rajkot: Ahmedabad-based restaurateur, Rohit Khanna, has been in the business for a decade. Having been expanded to six branches over the years, his venture was thriving — then the pandemic changed everything. Reduced footfalls, apprehensions about eating out, and declining order volumes have forced him to shut down four branches.

“We are currently running only one branch and that too with minimal staff and a limited menu,” said Khanna. “It is not possible to sustain operational costs with dwindling revenues.”

The restaurant industry did begin to revive with the relaxation of the initial spell of the night curfew across Gujarat and revenues reached 80-90% of the pre-pandemic levels for most restaurateurs. The recovery in business was recorded though the government had ordered that dine-in services be operated at only 50% capacity. However, the second wave of Covid-19 coupled with the night curfew in four major cities came as a big blow to the restaurant industry in the state, forcing many to shut. Industry estimates suggest that at least 20% of restaurants and cafes in Ahmedabad have shut down in this pandemic period.

While some restaurateurs have shut branches of their operations, others have closed down their businesses altogether. A few have switched to the kitchen-only model relying on takeaways. High rentals, increased operating costs and overheads, and restrictions continue to hurt restaurants.

Rushabh Purohit, another Ahmedabad restaurateur, said that he has moved to the takeaway-only model for his outlet because sustaining hefty operational costs is not possible. Purohit said the business used to peak in the evenings, but the night curfew has put paid to that.

According to the adage ‘Surat nu jaman, ane Kashi nu maran’, culinary bliss is delivered by Surat and salvation by Kashi. But the coronavirus has devoured a large part of the food business in the Diamond City too. With about 50% of the restaurants in the city not reopening after the lockdown, more than 5,000 people have been rendered jobless.

Sanat Relia, the vice-president of Southern Gujarat Hotel and Restaurant Association, said: “Of the total 300 fine-dine restaurants in the city, 50% have not reopened after the lockdown.” Relia went on to say: “The remaining are operating at less than 30% capacity due to the night curfew. This has resulted in huge job losses.”

Arvind Purohit, the owner of a Vadodara-based restaurant, closed his establishment due to the Covid-19 risk and the lack of business. “I sent all my staffers back to their hometowns during the lockdown,” he said. “Later, I didn’t reopen my restaurant as I didn’t want to risk the safety of my customers.”

Dinesh Rajpurohit, who owns a chain of Gujarati thaali restaurants in Surat, said: “Due to the night curfew, people are avoiding restaurants. The business is less than 30% of what it used to be before the pandemic.” Rajpurohit added: “Restaurant owners have trimmed their staff by 60%.”