Bengaluru street vendors fighting to stay in business amid LPG crisis

As the LPG crisis drags on, many are shrinking menus, scaling back on quality, or shutting shop

The persistent LPG crisis has dampened the vibrant street food scene in Bengaluru. Bustling carts have been bundled up, the tempting aromas are near-absent and famed chaat corners seem less crowded than usual. Areas such as Jayanagar, J P Nagar, V V Puram, Basaveshwara Nagar, and Rajarajeshwarinagar, all haunts of hungry regulars, have seen a decline as food hawkers are operating on razor- thin margins. 

Several hawkers told Metrolife that, despite steady sales, they have struggled to break even since the crisis began, especially those forced to buy cylinders on the black market, often paying nearly twice the price to keep their stoves running.

Vendors who were selling food cooked on the spot are the worst affected. Think momos, ‘Chinese’ dishes, bhajji, pakoda, pav bhaji, fried potatoes, and dosa. Harisha H B, who runs a dosa and idli cart, says he raised prices by five per cent, yet still struggles to break even. Footfalls have dropped, he adds.

Customers, too, are noticing the strain. Khushi S, a resident of Rajajinagar, says she has seen fewer carts over the past month, along with smaller menus. The quality of the few remaining dishes are below par. Smaller carts have shut down, she says, and even those that returned show visible differences in taste and consistency.

Michael Yeptho, who ran a popular Chinese stall in Rajarajeshwarinagar, shut shop despite strong demand.
Using one cylinder a week became unsustainable when he had to buy
each refill on the black market, while rent and other expenses added to mounting costs.

Prune it till you make it

Others are experimenting to survive. Pulkesh Anil, a sweet-corn vendor in J P Nagar, shifted from LPG to a kerosene stove and now to an electric steamer. But unreliable access to power limits mobility, and he says he will reassess his options soon.

Price adjustments are visible across the board. M Sameer, from Yelahanka, notes that items like pav bhaji and chicken rolls now cost Rs 10-15 more. Vendors cite broader inflation along with fuel costs. Some have cut the quantity instead. Vinod Shasthri, a pani puri vendor in Jayanagar, says he has reduced the masala peas in masala puri and limited the number of plates, unwilling to raise prices.

Menu pruning is widespread. Rajaram, who runs a stall in J P Nagar, has removed deep-fried items like potato twisters, smileys, and fries because they consume too much gas. Vaishnav Gowda, from Ramachandrapura, says smaller carts now offer only three or four items.

Concerns about quality

Quality concerns are growing. Anugraha Reddy, who lives near Sahakar Nagar, says food is sometimes undercooked or oil is reused more frequently. Operating hours have also shrunk. Amrita, who sells fried snacks in Jayanagar, has cut her timings to the peak evening window to save gas and manage costs.

At V V Puram, regulars Ashriya and Akash say several stalls now remain shut for a couple of days each week, and some momo vendors have stopped setting up altogether. For a few vendors, the crisis has coincided with the election season, prompting temporary exits. Sujan Lama closed his momo stall and returned to Siliguri to vote. Ajay and Kavita, who run a kebab stall in Basaveshwara Nagar, said they were headed to Tamil Nadu and would decide on returning based on how the situation evolves.

C E Rangaswamy, State President of the Karnataka Pradesh Beedhi Beedhi Vyaparigala Okkuta, says business has visibly declined in Rajajinagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Basavanagudi, while some areas like Vijayanagar remain relatively better. He adds that summer heat has also dampened appetite, compounding the impact of the LPG crisis, with commercial cylinders now costing around Rs 6,000 apiece in the current market.