CHENNAI: Chinese dishes with a more local flavour, register to jot down personal info, thermal scanners and cleaner tables welcomed people to the new normal of dining at restaurants across the State on Monday. Despite their best efforts, most restaurateurs had a disappointing day as a host of issues kept their business down. While lack of manpower hit the kitchen and table operations, less enthusiastic public gave the dine-in option a miss.
G Hariharan, a restaurant owner in Adayar, said he expected people to turn in large numbers as they were reopening after 75 days. “It turned out to be a big disappointment. There were no diners but only some parcel orders,” he said.
A few open in Chennai
It is estimated that only 20 per cent of the 30,000 restaurants and small eateries in the city reopened on Monday. Some restaurateurs to whom Express talked to cited the exodus of migrant workers, limited timings and seating, and hesitation among the public to dine out as reasons for the poor show.
M Venkadasubbu, president of Hotel Owners’ Association of Tamil Nadu said, “In Chennai, almost all restaurants are dependent on migrant labourers, who have now returned home. Spraying disinfectant and using sanitiser put extra burden on owners, who have been struggling without income for last two months. Also, workers and customers in Chennai are worried as Covid-19 cases are on the rise,” he added.
Venkadasubbu cited time restriction as a key reason for poor business. The government has set 8 pm as the deadline to down shutters. “Many people go to eateries only at night. Even now, people who are working from home prefer to go out with family after 8 pm,” he said.
Local Chinese
Several local youth tried their hands at Chinese dishes as restaurants reopened without migrant workers in Coimbatore. Thermal screening and hand sanitising were the norms in popular eateries. While the big players made arrangements to ensure social distancing and hygiene are maintained, road-side eateries and bakeries struggled. At the busy Vinayagapuram and Ganapaty areas, people were seen thronging eateries unmindful of social distancing and without a mask.
D Srinivasan, president of Coimbatore District Hoteliers’ Association told Express that they have been following instructions to keep the public safe from Covid-19. “As of now, there is hesitation among people as they are eating outside in a new atmosphere. We hope the situation will improve in coming days.”He added that they are keeping an eye on children and elderly. “We are advising such people not to eat outside. But, we can’t deny them food if they come to eat,” said Srinivasan.
Customer details
Getting a bill was the only, if any, paperwork that used to happen in the pre-lockdown era. Monday, however, was a different day altogether for customers in Madurai as they were asked to register their contact details before ordering their favourite dishes.
The city has over 500 eateries, of which 300 are registered under Madurai District Hoteliers’ Association. Speaking to Express, president of the association KL Kumar said only 60 per cent of the hotels reopened. “To be on a safer side, we are collecting contact details of customers,” said Kumar.
He too felt that the 8-pm deadline on operation would result in losses to most owners. “People prefer to have their dinner only after 8 pm. Being the peak hours, the time between 8 pm and 10 pm contributes around 20 to 30 per cent of daily business,” he said urging the district administration to permit eateries to serve food till 10 pm.
Poor restart in Tiruchy
Limited patronage and fewer dishes marked the day as restaurants reopened in Tiruchy on Monday. Many restaurateurs said it would be difficult to run the business viable if they followed the rules. “We cannot tell a family of four members who come together, to sit separately. And opening the dine-in facility means engaging more labourers and preparing more food. If people do not turn up, it will be a huge loss. Instead, we are happy just continuing with parcels and home delivery apps,” said owner of a hotel chain in Thillai Nagar.
Inspection in Villupuram
Food lovers were welcomed to a new experience in Villupuram after some restaurants reopened adhering to the strict hygiene standards. R Shankar (40), a businessman said it was refreshing to eat outside. “The hotel where I had food looked cleaner than earlier,” he said. Meanwhile, district police chief S Jayakumar inspected some eateries to ensure that standard operating procedures are followed. The SP warned that restaurants that don’t abide by protocols will be shut down. In the neighbouring Puducherry, eateries received only a lull response. “Most people are preferring takeaways,” said V Baskar, a restaurant owner.
(With inputs from Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchy and Villupuram)