BENGALURU: Frazer Town’s Mosque Road, once a bustling Ramzan food street, is witnessing a sharp decline in business this year due to ongoing roadwork. The area, which usually hosts around 150-200 food stalls during the festive season, has seen a nearly 80% drop in footfall as open drains and construction work have made the surroundings challenging.
When TNIE visited the area, the hotel owners told that the usual Ramzan rush has been missing this year. While mornings remain quiet due to fasting, evenings - when crowds typically surge - have been hit hard by roadwork. Lack of parking and poor road conditions have deterred customers, they said.
Faisal from Charminar Kebab Paradise told TNIE that all the hoteliers, along with the Frazer Town Residents’ Welfare Association, had repeatedly urged the authorities to speed up the work. “We were assured that the work would be completed before Ramzan, but with the slow progress and no sign of completion, we have now lost hope that it would be completed before Eid,” Faisal said.
While some restaurants have cut down their menus only to Haleem and Kebabs to minimise losses, as owners say they are not expecting large crowds anytime soon, other hoteliers told TNIE that due to the ongoing issues, they have decided to shift their stalls to areas like RT Nagar, Nagawara, and Kammanahalli in an attempt to keep their businesses running.
Last year, neighbouring societies and various organisations in Frazer Town came together to demand a ban on the food festival as it was causing a traffic problem. While the ban on outdoor stalls continues this year, hotels have been allowed to set up stalls outside their establishments, provided they do not obstruct traffic.
However, some hoteliers who tried to set up stalls outside their restaurants said that traffic police have been stopping them, citing that ongoing construction work has already been causing traffic disruptions and their stalls will add to the issue.
Mohmeen from Savera Restaurant told TNIE that during Ramzan, they usually rely on evening sales, as business is typically slow in the mornings. However, this year, they have been serving only around 80-100 customers even during peak hours.
“People don’t prefer ordering these dishes online because they are meant to be served hot and fresh. Since most customers want to eat them fresh, we cannot depend on online orders either,” Mohmeen added.