After nearly being shut for two months, here’s some good news for the bar and restaurants in Delhi. The owners have been granted permission to reopen the dine-in spaces at 50 per cent occupancy. However, the owners now pin their hopes for full occupancy as they consider the 50 per cent restriction to be a major hindrance for getting business back on track.
The relaxation will be a boost to such business owners. Most of the restaurant and bar managers in the city think that though the businesses are coming on the track slowly in the post-lockdown era, relaxation in occupancy in dine-in service can prove a boon for the industry.
Pushpendra, manager at dine-out 38 Barracks restaurant in Connaught Place, said, “The business is getting normal now, but we are compelled to follow the rule of only 50 per cent of occupancy which affects our daily sell out.”
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has extended the opening hours for restaurants and bars in the capital city. The restaurants and bars are now allowed to remain open till their normal closing timing at 12 am with 50 per cent seating capacity restriction.
The SinCity club official said, “The extended timings till midnight have proved good for our business, but we expect better in the post-lockdown period. The 50 per cent occupancy restriction impacts the business.”
OMG cafe manager in Connaught Place B.S. Rawat said, “We get good footfalls on weekends, but on weekdays we see a considerable decline in the number of people visiting the bar. Even Corporate meetings and parties are not being held because of social distancing norms which have a telling impact on the industry,” he said.
Even with a limited seating capacity and other safety protocols like social distancing in place, the bar and restaurant industry are on the track to revive in the post-lockdown era in Delhi. However, they pin hopes on full occupancy to see the business flourish again like the pre-Covid times.
(Agency inputs)
