NEW DELHI: A year after the coronavirus-induced lockdown in the national capital, business owners continue to struggle as their enterprises are yet to achieve their full potential. The Morning Standard finds out that the deadly virus has actually increased the cost of operations apart from forcing a re-think of business strategies.
“We are practising the WHO Health Advisory norms with social distancing and contactless dining being the key features. We have adapted to the new system making dining out a safe experience,” says Akash Kalra, Director of United Group that owns brands such as United Coffee House and United Coffee House Rewind. Kalra says due to the norms, the cost has increased by 20 per cent as the procurement has not changed and only a certain number of extra safety features have been added.
Kazem Samandari, Executive Chairman of L’Opéra, feels that the pandemic has forced them to go back to the drawing board and re-think. “The pandemic has created a totally new environment. The added costs came as a result of added hygiene protocols which require both personnel and equipment. It also means limitation on serving the guests and reduced seating. For instance we took a major decision to individually pack each pastry item in order to minimize the risk of contamination,” said Samandari.
“We want to provide a clean atmosphere to our customers. So, putting the extra effort would mean additional resources. For the past few months the costs of operating our business has gone up, but the number of customers has dipped,” says Sunil Taank, founder of Black’s Gym brand. “Approximately `25,000 per month is the additional cost that I am incurring after re-opening the establishment. Plus, we have to be prepared for making more changes,” said Taank.
As the owner of the Indian Gyms Welfare Federation, Taank believes that in the many establishments that he owns, only 40 per cent of the customers have returned. But the manpower for cleaning and sweeping at regular intervals has gone up. A gymnasium, which is mostly a closed environment, the owners are procuring large batches of sanitizers for cleaning surfaces, which has added to the cost of operation.
Delhi’s economy is also based on tourism and markets. A rising number of corona cases has the shop owners worried about the impending fallout on their businesses.