Bengaluru cafes switch to baked, easy-to-cook items to tackle LPG shortage crisis

As commercial cooking gas begins running out of stock, upscale cafes and restaurants are tweaking their menus to focus more on dishes that require minimal use of flame. Rather than shutting shop, restaurateurs are prioritising baked goods, raw food like salads, wood-fire cooking and dishes that are easy to make on induction stoves. 

“We are focusing more on steamed, oven-baked and simple dishes that can be cooked on induction stoves,” says Avin Taliath, co-founder of Lavonne Hospitality Private Limited, which runs the Lavonne Cafes, Malaysian restaurant Kopitiam Lah and ice cream shop, Lick. Two years ago, the Lavonne kitchens switched to electricity-based cooking appliances for most of their dishes. However, for their Malaysian restaurant, which primarily uses woks, finding an alternative source of cooking is presenting a challenge. “For now, at our cafes, we are using induction stoves for dishes like shakshuka, mushroom toast, and omelettes,” he shares. 

Specialty coffee shop, The Caffeine Baar,  with outlets on Church Street and in Jayanagar, was also forced to limit their menu to dishes that are more suited to induction stoves. Their all-day breakfast, open sourdough toasts, egg-based dishes and desserts have been retained, says Poojya Prasad, co-founder.  

Craft breweries, like Mannheim, Hoodi, are pushing customers towards ordering tandoori and barbecue dishes. “We have instructed our waiters to guide diners towards these dishes, especially when asked for recommendations. Most of them don’t mind, because they understand that we are in a tough spot,” explains Nirmal P V, co-founder.

Some businesses like The Oterra, a five-star hotel in Electronics City, have been untouched by the crisis.

“In 2025, when we achieved our net zero milestone, we also transitioned our kitchens to run on electric power, sourced from a private provider that generates electricity from solar and wind energy. The current LPG shortage has not affected our operations,” reveals Srinivas Adiga, general manager. 

Coffee crunch on the cards

Coffee connoisseurs in the city are stocking up on coffee, as retailers put out notices on their websites alerting customers to delays in delivery. Typically, coffee beans are roasted using LPG gas and with the supply crunch, roasteries are facing an impossible challenge. 

A techie from South Bengaluru purchased four 250 gm packs of coffee after learning that one of his preferred specialty coffee shops was running low on stock. “I usually buy about two 250 gm packs a month,” he shares. Adding that, he plans to freeze the beans to retain their flavour. 

Caffeine Baar sources its coffee from its own estate in Chikkamagaluru. Poojya states that their roasteries, which supply beans to numerous other businesses, have enough LPG supply to last about a month. 

Maverick and Farmer, which also uses single-origin coffee from its Kodagu estate and has its own roasteries, is prioritising roasting its most popular coffee variants. The cafe, which has three outlets, has a total of 14 coffee variants. They are also prepping for the launch of their fourth outlet, in Hennur, says Ashish D’Abreo, one of the founders.