'Stocks may last 1–2 days': Tamil Nadu restaurants cut menu items amid LPG shortage as Gulf conflict spirals

CHENNAI: Restaurants across Tamil Nadu are facing a looming crisis as existing stocks of commercial LPG cylinders are expected to last only one or two days amid supply disruptions linked to the West Asia conflict, hoteliers said on Tuesday.Several hotels and eateries have already begun reducing the number of dishes on their menus in an attempt to conserve LPG. Dealers from major oil companies, including Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, are turning down urgent requests for commercial LPG cylinders weighing 22kgs and 32kgs, the Chennai Hotels Association said. “We work around the clock and need a continuous supply of gas cylinders for uninterrupted service,” said association president M. Ravi. He warned that prolonged shortages could cascade beyond restaurants to hospitals, educational institutions, hostels and IT company canteens.Hotels, meanwhile, face an agonising dilemma: how to break the news to customers with confirmed banquet bookings for weddings and other events. “We have an event tomorrow, and the customer has asked for food for 300 guests. We haven’t told them about the crisis. We don’t how we will deliver that,” said a hotel owner, on request of anonymity.The association has messaged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought an urgent appointment with Chief Minister M K Stalin to press for government intervention and restore uninterrupted supply. Industry experts estimate small eateries consume three to five 19-kg commercial cylinders daily. Mid-sized hotels with 100-200 seating capacity require at least five to 10 cylinders every day, while three-star and five-star properties offering boarding and lodging guzzle at least 20. “We can’t stock up cylinders for months,” said Ravi, who also heads the popular chain Namma Veedu Vasantha Bhavan. “Most hotels, including ours, will be able to run only till midnight tonight. Some have enough stock till Wednesday,” he said.By noon many hotel chains were holding internal emergency discussions to limit menus to essential items, slash operating hours and pivot to electric devices for dishes such as rice and idlis. For instance, Adyar Ananda Bhavan has already cut back on tandoor ovens and other North Indian dishes that devour high volumes of LPG. “We have also reduced the time we serve dishes like dosa,” said restaurant director Vishnu Shankar V. “Some of our restaurants will use electric cooking setups for the entire menu. We are doing everything we can to limit LPG use and keep serving customers.”