Safety on mind, restaurants start shutting voluntarily

The coronavirus threat in Goa forced the government to close down nightclubs and casinos from last Sunday, though there was no official directive on shutting restaurants yet. But a number of restaurants has voluntarily decided to suspend operations till the situation gets better to help curb the spread of the virus. The high tourist season was anyway drawing to a close and many restaurants would have shut before the monsoon set in.
It's about being responsible
Among the restaurants staying shut as a precautionary measure is Rudy’s Bar and Grill, which closed on Wednesday and will open only when things get better. “It’s the responsible thing to do, and though we were taking all precautions, it’s just safer to be shut at the moment. We are not even doing deliveries,” says Maanav Dev, partner. Fabiola Mendes e Rodrigues, partner of Black Vanilla and Thirsty Bear, tells us, “We took this decision as part of a precautionary measure to keep our staff and customers safe. Since our restaurants have locals and tourists alike, we our just doing our bit as a responsible organisation by closing all our four outlets.”
Despite frequent reminders on social distancing not all tourists tend to be conscious, said Hermit Sethi, partner at Burger Factory, Morjim. “We were open for takeaway on Wednesday, but from Thursday we decided to shut completely. When people realise we are open, they come in and request to sit for a while or just have a drink without understanding the seriousness of the situation.
We have noticed that a lot of the city crowd has come towards this side to enjoy the beach instead of self-quarantining, which is one of the biggest reasons we closed down,” he said. Praveena D’souza, owner of Toro Toro in Baga, tells us that they have shut for the next two weeks. “Since we are in a tourist location, it gets very crowded and we had to ensure safety of our staff and guests,” she says.
Takeaways still on at some places
A few restaurants have kept takeaways open, while they were shut otherwise. Anisha Hassan, owner of Saligao Stories, which has been shut from March 17, says, “We are doing takeaways which I myself supervise under strict, hygienic conditions. But if the situation worsens, we will stop that as well. The footfall had dropped drastically since March 11. We felt it was unfair to put our employees at risk, as we cannot filter guests. And it just doesn’t seem right to keep your place open which encourages people and interact socially!”
A few other restaurants are in the process of closing. Christopher Agha Bee, chef/owner of Sublime, tells us, “We have decided to shut from next week for two months, because I have a feeling that we have a big battle ahead of us. We think it’s highly irresponsible to stay open, because it’s a threat to not just our staff and their families, but even our guests. We are taking precautions to ensure safety of all.”
Number of diners declining over the last two weeks
The health crisis has anyway seen a dip in the number of patrons at restaurants in Goa. Maanav says, “The footfall had drastically reduced. There weren’t many people coming. This is even after we posted that we are taking precautions with our food and staff and we have outdoor seating and all tables are at sufficient distance from each other.”
Saurabh Anand, founder of Masala House and S.E.A. says, “Initially we kept the restaurants open and took all safety measures as advised — using masks, sanitising door knobs and tables and offering sanitiser to our guests. But fewer people were coming in. From 80 diners a day in early March, we saw a drop to five-odd diners. This was alarming from an operational point of view because it meant the kitchens were prepping and eventually disposing food on a daily basis. Apart from the wastage, it was a drain on resources like electricity, water and gas. We had to take a call keeping all these factors and the public health scenario in mind. So, to help minimise the spread of the virus, we decided to shut doors of all our restaurants till authorities give an is assurance of safety.”
Supporting staff in difficult times
Some restaurants are assisting their staff with full pay or accommodation and food till the situation gets better. Maanav says, “We have given all our staff paid leave. Both my partner and I are taking the financial hit, which is there. Our team was very cooperative and will be coming to the restaurant on rotation every couple of days for cleaning and sanitising.” Saurabh says, “We are continuing to support our staff with free accommodation, food and trying to meet their daily needs while we all continue our fight to end this pandemic.”