THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Several months have passed since the hotels and restaurants in the district resumed their dine-in services with 50 per cent occupancy. Though people started eating out after the second wave of the Covid pandemic, most customers preferred delivery of food. Now, due to the Omicron scare, the footfall has decreased drastically, say owners of hotels and restaurants.
According to B Vijayakumar, Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) district secretary, though the resumption of dine-in services has been a relief, most eateries are now catering to deliver food ordered online. “The dine-in services in Thiruvananthapuram have been hugely affected, especially after the second wave. Now customers prefer takeaways or ordering online,” said Vijayakumar.
While many fine-dining restaurants offer seating based on individual reservations rather than walk-ins, they have halved their capacity to keep a one-metre distance between chairs. However, many of them said they are focusing more on food deliveries as there are hardly any customers in the restaurants.
“During the weekdays, there are hardly any customers. We have to depend on online food delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato. Though it doesn’t earn us much profit, we see no other solution. Since most customers find it more convenient to order food than eating out, alternative online food delivery platforms may help us,” said Akbar Ali, owner of Monte Nero, a restaurant in Ulloor.
However, some remain hopeful. “We get more customers during the weekends. Business was good in November and December. Due to the Omicron scare, it has taken it has taken a hit since January. We expect more diners in the coming days as the government has lifted the Sunday lockdown,” said Viji Unnikrishnan of The Yellow Chilli restaurant.
Revival plans
KHRA district secretary Vijayakumar says, “To revive the industry, the only solution is to tap into more digital platforms. A Kerala-based food delivery application Rezoy was launched last year in Kochi and Thrissur. “Unlike other popular online food delivery platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato, even small food businesses can use this app for making food deliveries and is affordable. Plans are in the pipeline to launch the facility in the district soon.”