JOIN USWith Karnataka's new night curfew, pubs and eateries see no way to recover from losses
Pub and restaurant owners are unhappy over the 10-day, state-wide night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am, as it would scupper their plans to make the most of the Christmas and New Year holiday season.
The industry was hoping for a year-end recovery after months lost to the pandemic. Now, it will have to limp along with the night curfew imposed by the state government.
Udaya Mogaveera of Big Barbeque in Marathahalli said the curfew will no doubt hurt the year-end business.
"People were just getting comfortable dining out and the business was slowly picking up. But now, the dinner time will be cut by half as we need to close the orders by 8 pm," Mogaveera said.
Employee safety
Adding to their woes is the owners’ worries about the safety of their employees.
Kebapci in Koramangala, with more female staff working in the evening shift, has left its owner Aasim Sha in a fix.
“We will have to figure out a way to shuffle the staff now so that our female staff aren’t troubled by the curfew,” he said.
New menu shelved
The new menu they planned for the season has been shelved.
Many felt a tighter guideline would have ensured public safety instead of a full-fledged curfew.
"Our plan was to hold a New Year party from 8 pm onwards. But now, we are planning to start by 3 pm and wind up by 9.30 pm," said Ranveer Sabhani, business head, South of Impresario Restaurants.
Eateries also point out that reduced work hours do not cut down their bills.