Diners stay away from Chinese items

Places offering South Asian cuisine are getting fewer footfalls. Business is down by about 25 per cent, some say

The coronavirus scare has affected business in South Asian restaurants in Bengaluru. Lack of awareness about how the virus spreads is resulting in fewer footfalls, say restaurateurs.

Puneet Reddy, owner of Angrezi on Church Street, says business dipped last week, soon after news broke of a Bengaluru techie being infected. The restaurant calls itself a ‘Bollywood bar and kitchen,’ and Chinese food also features on its menu.

“Though we are a bar, many come in for our food. Now since that has come down, our bar sales have come down too,” he says. He puts the decline in business at 25 per cent.

“I fear worse in the coming days,” he says.

Veg preferred

Subhankar Dhar, owner and chef at Pot-O-Noodles, has seen a change in preferences, with many ordering vegetarian or fish instead of chicken and other meat.

“We are a Japanese restaurant, and customers are worried about the ingredients we use. It’s only after we tell them we don’t have any imported products from China that they are relieved,” he says.

Customers are often worried about the meat, even though it is locally sourced. “There’s only so much we can say to the customers. The fear has kicked in strong,” says Dhar.

Precautions

Nirav Rajani, partner at Hanoi and Patio 805, says customers need reassurance, and he tells them only safe, dried ingredients are used in their dishes.

“We are a Vietnamese restaurant chain and the last batch of imported goods we got was completely safe,” he says.

“Precautionary methods can be taken. We have kept hand sanitisers on each table and we maintain hygiene in the kitchen,” he says.

Samarth Shetty, partner at The Reservoire, talks about new operating procedures to make customers feel safe. We use a disinfectant spray after every table change, the washrooms are cleaned regularly, and the taps are cleaned frequently. There are also sanitisers placed on each table.”

No cash please

Some restaurants such as Misu are not taking cash from customers. Owner Amit Ahuja says, “We’ve been reading reports that the virus can be spread through notes as well. We have only been accepting credit card and digital payments, unless the customer only has cash.” Restaurateurs are also keeping a check on the staff, especially if they are travelling out of Bengaluru. Even the takeaway section is affected, with fewer people ordering in.

Online dull

Restaurant business insiders say they have seen a decline in online orders too.