A slice of Europe on Church Street

For the first time ever, vehicles are completely barred on weekends, and restaurants are allowed to place tables outside

On weekends, for three months, the swanky Church Street is closed for motorised traffic and open only for eco-friendly modes of transport.

Last weekend, for the first time ever, restaurants were allowed to set up tables on the footpaths under the BBMP’s Clean Street Initiative. The crowds are still thin, but those who visited the street were reminded of the bistros and cafes in Europe that extend their service to the outdoors.

Restaurants are happy with the customer turnout, and expect it to go up in the weeks to come. Footfalls have come down since the pandemic broke out, and any improvement in business is good news.

Church Street Social put out 24 tables last weekend. Mayank Bhatt, brand head, explains, “We had a cart outside to serve cold brews and non-alcoholic beverages. It was really nice to watch people walk in and out enjoying the beautiful weather.”

The street presented a scene from a European market and footfalls, which improve towards evening, were good all day, he says.

“Restaurants are still expected to follow the safety protocols and ensure everything is running smoothly,” he says.

Everyone entering the street is put through a temperature scan.

No delivery agents

Brik Oven was one of the restaurants that did not set up tables outside this week.

“We wanted to check out the vibe and so decided to wait it out. We wanted the furniture to be suitable for outdoor seating and suit the theme of our restaurant,” says co-founder Sreeram Anvesh.

With outdoor seating, pet parents can dine out with their furry friends too, but the word hasn’t got out yet.

Owner E V Jayakaran of Glenands Pet Stores is disappointed. “The crowd isn’t stopping by our store. In fact, when vehicles are allowed on weekdays, people would stop their cars in front of the store, purchase and leave. To our surprise, no-vehicle days have shown a dip in sales,” he says.

He is considering closing the store on Sunday if business remains dull this weekend too.

Book store concerns

Blossoms Book House owner Mayi Gowda plans to put up stalls outside this weekend.

He saw no improvement in sales last weekend, and has his own reservations about crowds in the middle of a pandemic.

“It’s a great initiative but I don’t think it’s the right time. Most people are scared to travel in public transport and to open up space to encourage public gatherings is scary,” he says.

Till when?

The Clean Street Initiative, which allows businesses to come outdoors and use Church Street for business, is on till February 28, 2021.

Food delivery problem

While walk-ins have improved, restaurateurs are unhappy food delivery executives are not allowed in. “Since vehicles can’t come in, we are losing out on delivery orders. Executives mark us as closed and cancel our orders. We hope there is a solution to this problem. Perhaps assign a spot or zone for delivery agents to park their vehicles,” says Anvesh of Brik Oven.