‘Worse than lockdown’: Delhi restaurateurs react to 'Unlock 1' guidelines of new COVID-19 reality
The latest tranche of do and donts’, while not very voluminous, is not very illuminating either. Restaurants and malls are allowed to operate from June 8 under new timings, while cinema halls and bars are not. P
laces of worship are opening, while public gatherings remain restricted. In the meantime, restaurants and hospitality businesses, already desperate, are left scrambling for clarity in the new conditions.
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t defined a generation as much as it has destabilised the entire globe. Forget bending the rules, or playing fast and loose with them, the new paradigm hasn’t settled enough anywhere in the world for there to be any. International bodies pass recommendations to national authorities that impose them on state governments, which push them on to municipal levels that exhort them to us.
As India stumbles into Lockdown 5.0, or Unlock 1.0, the Centre’s tacit trust in State authorities to implement a final solution (never a pleasant term) has left one of the largest industries in the country blind-sided, especially in the Capital.
Restaurants have been among the most affected businesses in the new post COVID reality, and while the national government hasn’t given the industry the bouquet of sops it needs, restaurant owners are still hoping for a soupcon of relief.
“This is worse than lockdown. Bars have been told to remain closed, while restaurants need to shut by 9:00pm. That means we need to start taking last orders by 6:30-7:00pm in restaurants, which do most of their business at night. Do you know how much that business that works out to,” asks Capital restaurateur Priyank Sukhija rhetorically, before calculating out the depressing total.
Zorawar Kalra of Massive Restaurants, says, “Rents are among the highest cost for our business, and the margins are already razor thin. While there is still time to figure out the exact permutations we hope we can come to an agreement with landlords and authorities that doesn’t result in the potential shutting down of a large number of restaurants.”
Rents are among the ruinous of restaurants expenses.While the previous government-mandated closure of businesses premises had given operators some leeway with their landlords in terms of leases, under the new regulations, which allow restaurants to operate in set, but sub-optimal times, in which they wouldn’t normally do the best business.There is of course also the psychology of going out to eat itself.
Restaurateurs are worried that the optics of opening eateries too soon, along with a smorgasbord of other businesses that will statistically drive up the risk of infections, will come rest firmly on their shoulders, despite all the government and WHO regulations they employ.
“I would only like to comment on the situation after the Delhi state government has announced its own set of measures to complement those of the Centre. That being said, we would like to welcome back our guests with all due pomp once circumstances permit and they feel more secure,” says Vikrant Batra of Café Delhi Heights.And with owner-operated restaurants present in markets as well as malls, there’s not a lot of cohesion in the initial set of guidelines issued by the government.
While some of them have liquor licenses and thus may come under bars, others may be counted as just eateries. Who knows which is which? We’ll have to wait and see.Earlier, while the exact mechanisms of the new phase of lockdown were still in suspense, restaurants had been coming out with a slew of ways (watch this space for more on that) to engage with their former patrons in the comfort and security of the latters’ homes. The idea being that since people wouldn’t be very comfortable about dining out in style, they could at least eat in in comfort.
The potentially premature opening of dining establishments could spoil that broth.
“QSR formats like McDonalds and Barista will definitely benefit from the opening of kiosks and outlets in malls within the set time limits, but for restaurants and bars like us it’s definitely not a positive. We hope the Delhi government takes this into account when making their decision and perhaps allows us to open in the next iteration, along with other places like cinema halls and swimming pools,” says Sukhija.
If you’re still hungry for more, we’ll let you know what they say tomorrow.