Samridhi Kitchens in Kochi take on LPG crisis with firewood stoves
KOCHI: LPG shortage due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia has hit ‘Samridhi@Kochi’, the corporation’s budget eateries, hard with some outlets forced to turn to firewood to keep business going.
The eatery chain that provides breakfast and lunch for Rs 20 has three outlets in the city – near Ernakulam Town railway station, near GCDA office in Kadavathra and near the Ro-Ro jetty in Fort Kochi. In the past few days, the community kitchen, operated with the cooperation of Kudumbasree mission, reduced its daily menu to half.
“Daily, our Samridhi kitchen requires 30 cylinders. We received 30 last Wednesday and reduced production to use those on Thursday as well. We have requested the authorities to allot cylinders for Friday, which they have promised to provide,” said Mayor V K Minimol.
“Since this is a community kitchen, closing it would be difficult as many depend on it for food,” she said. In Samridhi’s kitchen space at Ernakulam North, staff set up a firewood stove on the premises to prepare food.
“About half of the items have been removed from the menu. On-demand breakfast items like puttu, idli, Chinese food items and others have been removed. Right now, only basic breakfast, meal options with rice and snacks menu are being provided,” said a staffer.
“The crisis has affected sales; revenue has dropped by about 30% in the last two days,” a staff said.