The highest-earning YouTuber in 2019, those halcyon days before COVID-19, was a toddler who unboxed toys.Indeed, unboxing videos, be they of toys or gadgets or (presumably) fully articulated humanoids, has become a favourite passtime for people on video-sharing platforms everywhere.And now, with a raging pandemic and a general public resistance to stepping out of your own home, restaurants are the latest to adopt this trend (YouTube views not included).
The difference lies in the application. Zorawar Kalra, of Massive Restaurants, is ever-optimistic of what could be, and has a business plan to match his vision: “For occasions and get-togethers, a chef and a server, complete with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) suits and sanctioned health checks, could come deliver a facsimile of the dining experience that you would get in any of our restaurants.”
This being a subsequent goal, the son of Jiggs Kalra has a ridiculously replete repository of recipes from his father; and the chefs at his (s)table of restaurants are busy a-cooking things for you to do it yourself.“Farzi, Bo Tai and Pa Pa Ya will each be doing both delivery and DIY. No separate name for them,” he says.
“But our favourite dishes will be converted to DIY format with great garnishes and clear descriptions on how to present them so that the restaurant quality presentation can be replicated each time at home. None of our DIY kits will have more than six steps,” adds Kalra, noting that the kitchens of Massive restaurants will operate on hub-and-spoke models, with a Farzi delivering Pa Pa Ya cuisine and vice vera, to maximize guest experience and service time, as well as reduce risk.
Jatin Mallick of Tres strikes a more cautious note. “I’ve observed from many other places as well, there is a hesitation to allow foods from outside into your own eco-space. People with small kids and old parents are more concerned, and I totally get it,” he says.
When Mallick ordered from outside recently, he also had his concerns. “But after ordering a couple of times I realised that it’s okay. We need to follow our own precautions after those done by the place we ordered from. We’re all in this together, and we’ll figure it out together,” says Mallick.
For others it’s a time to reinvent or, as Joy Singh, who is a partner at Raasta and Yeti, puts it, “Get back to our roots.”Raasta, which began eight years ago as an all-Caribbean lounge, and had to subsequently re-jig its menu because ‘Delhi be Delhi’ is now reverting.
“We’re only serving our Caribbean dishes for delivery. If you want Chilli Chicken or Seekh Kebab, you’re probably not going to order from Raasta. If you want some Jamaican Jerk Chicken or Jambalaya, you’re going to come to Raasta.”
However, everything comes down to math.
When this writer suggested there would be a 25-40 per cent reduction in restaurant sales, nationwide, it was quickly corrected. It could be upto 50-60 per cent of restaurants closing, they remarked.
At a time of international calamity, that doesn’t sound like much, all-in-all. The thing is, it affects each of us. Your personal favourite kebab place may be shutting down as could your neighbour’s favourite place for paneer.
Bakshish Dean, a seasoned chef and restaurateur, says not many F&B businesses will survive.“And so, they’re trying to find other revenue streams. That being said, it’s strange how different business models are profiting. Some restaurants are legitimately offering to deliver groceries, while others are trying to get by with what amounts to price-gouging. We’re suddenly back in the Wild (wild) West.”
Let’s hope we don’t go down like that particular Will Smith movie.