LIFESTYLE
The party people are going to the neighbouring city this weekend, as MCD polls put a 48-hour ban on sale and serving of alcohol in the Capital
Guess where the party people of Delhi will be this weekend? Well, not in Delhi. Most of them are heading to Gurgaon, in the neighbouring state of Haryana, to dodge the 48-hour ban on the sale and serving of alcohol in the Capital, because of the MCD elections.
The weekend is here, and for a change, restaurateurs in Delhi are not looking forward to it. Due to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, according to an order issued by the Delhi Excise Department, all liquor shops and bars were closed from 5.30pm on Friday, and the ban on sale and serving of alcohol stays in place for 48 hours, till 5.30pm on Sunday. And that means all the party people in the city are going to Gurgaon, Haryana, where they can grab a few drinks.
It’s no surprise that hospitality business owners in the Capital are very unhappy. “We had an event [on Saturday] that we’ve had to cancel, since the guests moved their party to Gurgaon,” says Atul Kapur, co-partner at Flying Saucer and QBA, adding that promotional offers don’t help in such situations. “People only want to party where they can unwind with a drink.”
Shiv Karan Singh, owner of Smoke House Deli, says, “As it is, business is slow this time of the year, but this weekend, we don’t have any bookings. [The dry weekend] is really hampering our business.”
Akshay Anand, owner, HotMess Kitchen & Bar, says, “The dry days have sent our entire month’s business for a toss.”
On the other hand, Gurgaon business is plump. “We’ve got a lot of queries from Delhi, asking if we’re serving alcohol or not. And we’re also fully sold out,” says Shikhir Dhingra, co-owner of Classroom.
As for those who can’t go to Gurgaon, life is a bit boring. Viren Aggarwal, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, laments that weekend pubbing with his gang in Hauz Khas Village can’t happen. For him, Gurgaon is too far away.
But Vaishnavi Saxena, a 22-year-old law student, doesn’t mind shifting her party stop to Gurgaon, as there’s a birthday to celebrate with her friends. “I’ve heard that these places will be jam-packed, so we’ll make advance reservations,” she says.
We’ve got a lot of queries from Delhi, asking if we’re serving alcohol or not. And we’re also fully sold out SHIKHIR DHINGRA, GURGAON RESTAURATEUR