BENGALURU: Muskaan Jain was quite happy when she got the news of the Karnataka government issuing an order extending the deadline for hotels, pubs, and shops to remain open until 1am. “I finish work pretty late. My only way of unwinding is catching up with friends over a drink. Sometimes, it used to be cut short because of the previous deadline, but the 1am deadline works out better,” says the 25-year-old mechanical engineer.
Shutting down pubs and restaurants early was a huge limitation on these businesses. Terence Prasad, general manager of Uru Brewpark, says the move will bring significant relief to the staff. “With the 11pm deadline, we used to get the last order at 10pm, and all the orders would come at the same time. The staff used to be under a lot of pressure, but with the 1am deadline, orders will be spread out, and the staff will be able to relax. Revenue-wise also, it’s better because people start late and would like to stay longer,” says Prasad.
Meanwhile, Prathik Shetty, founder of The Reservoire, says the move will not make a huge impact on the drinking crowd.“The later deadline is nice for people who want to grab dinner late. But what would have been good for bars is permission to stay open until 2am.
What I noticed is that reservations used to start from 7-8 pm, but now they start from 9-9.30 pm. This is mainly due to workload and traffic. So people only have around two hours to unwind. At least a 2am deadline should be allowed on weekends,” he explains.
While the F&B industry is happy with the move, residents of commercial areas like Indiranagar aren’t thrilled. Vishwarup Roy, a 50-year-old resident of Indiranagar, says it’s a never-ending menace. “Multiple complaints have come from the residents of Defence Colony,” says Roy.
The rule also applies to other business establishments that come under BBMP. Husna Sait, who runs a fashion boutique on Commercial Street, says the move is not exactly beneficial for an outlet like her’s. “Our business is based on customer visits and that stops beyond a point. Keeping the store open for longer means extra time for the staff and extra electricity bills. It becomes an expensive affair,” says Sait.