Many restaurants suspend dine-in amid Covid-19 spread

The rise in number of positive cases are prompting restaurant owners to opt for only takeaways

Alarmed by the rise in Covid-19-positive numbers, many restaurants in Bengaluru are suspending dine-in, and reverting to just takeaway.

Popular dosa joint Vidyarthi Bhavan is closing its doors to diners on Sunday.

“We’ve seen a rise in business since dine-in was allowed but it’s hard to manage the crowds. We’ve cut down the number of tables to about 50 per cent but when people come in without a token and insist on waiting, the crowd grows, and so does the risk of spreading the virus,” he says.

App to cut waiting

Raghavendra Sanjeeva Rao, owner of Hallimane, Malleswaram, hasn’t opened the restaurant since the lockdown began towards the end of March. He feels its best to stay that way as Hallimane is close to KC General Hospital, a Covid-19 treatment centre.

“It’s been really tough but we know that if we open, people will come and everyone might be at risk. So we have decided to bear the losses,” he says.

Many restaurant owners, like Raghavendra, are looking at launching apps that allow customers to place orders and take contactless delivery.

“The app can be used to browse the menu, place your order, make a payment and get a notification when the food is ready. You can come and collect the takeaway without having to wait. We are hoping to launch this soon,” he told Metrolife.

Low footfall

Hotel Vande Matharam owner KR Nagesh opened for 12 days and decided to suspend all operations till things are back to normal.

“We are located near the Iskcon temple. More than 1,200 people used to visit us every day before the lockdown but we barely saw 100 in the last few days. It wasn’t helping us in any way so we decided to close,” he told Metrolife. People lack confidence to come out and dine, and it is difficult to decide how many customers to cook for. Just takeaway isn’t viable, says Nagesh.

Home delivery

Specialising in pizzas, Brik Oven in Church Street and Indiranagar is another restaurant that has decided against dine-in service.

Owner Anirudh Nopany says, “We are hesitant to expose our employees and customers when there isn’t a cure for the virus yet.”

The whole idea of going to a restaurant is for the experience. But when we have so many rules and regulations, it takes away from what the customers came for, he observes.

His team is working on more items that are home delivery friendly. The sourdough breads have become a popular item during the lockdown. “Honestly, we are just doing everything we can to sustain our business. Let’s see how things pan out in the next couple of months,” he says.