THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Thiruvananthapuram district administration has come up with a slew of restrictions on the business establishments in wake of the rise in the number of Covid cases. The business establishments, especially hotels and restaurants in the city, are requested to close by 9pm and to keep takeaway counters open till 11pm. The regulations also follow on indoor dining capacity which has been limited to 50 per cent in restaurants and hotels. Post lockdown, the industry is having a struggle in reviving its sales, will the latest rules shatter their future? We talk to hotel owners and customers to know how they welcome the new order.
Kerala Hotel & Restaurant Association (KHRA) members say the regulations are welcome but the government needs to give more support to help them withstand the crisis. According to Vijayakumar B, secretary of KHRA, the meeting with the government ended in the formation of rules on restricting dine-in and extended takeaway counters.
“We accepted the regulations put forward by the district administration, but we demand special arrangements as it is Ramadan season and many hotels and restaurants in the city receive sales only after 7pm,” he said.The new norms have been made to practise in various parts of the city. However, the rules are also misinterpreted by the police, said another owner and a KHRA executive member, Shafi J.
“For the past two days, the police officials are forcing us to close the shop after 9pm even when we are running only takeaway counters. It is sad to say that we are all struggling to survive in the market as almost 50 per cent of the hotels in the city are closed due to less customer turnover due to the pandemic,” adds Shafi. The hotelier who owns two restaurants in Peroorkada welcomed the regulations and added that it would be safer if the e-billing system is introduced in every outlet.
“We do keep a register of customers who drop in but most of them won’t be entering their actual phone numbers. It would be more credible and safe if we follow e-billing where we will have the actual details of customers and thus will be helpful to track if any cases are reported through him or her,” Shafi adds.
The online delivery system comes as a relief for the diners and restaurants as they say it is the only way to boost their sales now. “Gone are days when the whole family used to throng it at restaurants and give a feisty meal. Now, all prefer the food at their doorsteps and thus takeaway counters are promoted by many. In support of this, KHRA has launched an online food delivery app of its own, Rezoy, which is now used on an experimental basis in Kochi. We will establish the app slowly across the state to empower the online food business of small to big restaurants at the time of Covid,” says Vijayakumar.
Although the restrictions are accepted by the diners in wake of the safety measures, some of the food lovers who prefer street foods share their despair. “Yes, regulations are welcome, but we fail to get the vibe of eating hot food served at midnight directly from street shops. We will not be able to enjoy that happy togetherness while eating out with friends anymore. Enjoying tasty food is a feeling and now with the restrictions, the food has become just a necessity,” says Vishnu Sishupalan, an ardent food lover from Nettayam.