BENGALURU: The bomb blasts that took place at Rameshwaram Cafe have raised concerns among hotels and restaurants owners. They are now worried whether they will be allowed to start operations till 1 am that was permitted by the state government in the recent state budget.
Sources from the hotels and restaurants association said, “We had made multiple attempts in the past seeking permission to operate round the clock, but were denied citing security reasons. Now with this blast, it looks like we will be back to square one.”
The owner of a Bengaluru-based restaurant said such incidents can occur any time and at any place. It does not mean that hotels and restaurants are not safe. It is the duty of the police to ensure that there are adequate security arrangements.
Another hotel owner said the blast had an impact on the sales in some eateries in the city. People seemed speculative, but this is only temporary. “A lot of people in Bengaluru depend on restaurants for their three square meals on a daily basis. Things will get back to normal soon, but seeking permission to keep restaurants open for late night hours, will have an impact,” the owner said.
Veerendra Kamath, secretary, Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels and Restaurants Association, said a meeting will be held with all owners and members to to discuss on what more safety measures need to be taken. “Hotels and restaurants try to ensure that all safety measures are in place. There is no need for people to panic. All hotels and restaurants follow all the safety norms that are prescribed by the police,” he said.