City is eating on the trot again
"While restaurants, eateries and food joints have been given permission to observe usual business hours, the state government has allowed bars to operate only until 7pm only," said Adarsh Shetty, president, Indian Association of Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR).
"Business in bars picks up post-7pm. Keeping bars open only till 7pm will increase our losses," Shetty added.
However, the state excise department officials said that they did not have any authority to set the timing for bars and it was an issue for the State Disaster Management Authority to take up.
“The decision on timings is made by the empowered officer of the authority, based on the prevailing Covid-19 conditions in a particular area,” said a senior excise official.
When asked about the confusion of bar owners over the state excise department’s nod on timings, he said they had issued a clarification.
“We issued a clarification saying that bars can open and operate as per the timings decided by each empowered officer of disaster management. The competent authority will be the BMC in the city and the collector at other places.”
Principal secretary of the tourism department Valsa Nair Singh told The Free Press Journal the closing time for all restaurants and bars is 10pm. "For all restaurants, including bars, the timings are 8am to 10pm," she said.
"Only 35 per cent of the hotels were operational on Monday, as we had some confusion regarding the timing of operations and seating capacity," said Pradeep Shetty, senior vice president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI).
Meanwhile, restaurants which have resumed business are strictly adhering to the standard operating procedures laid down by the government and the civic body.
In many restaurants, patrons won't be allowed entry, unless they have the Aarogya Setu app installed on their mobile phones. Also, thermal screening of people is being carried out at the entry point and no more than two patrons are allowed to sit at a table.
"We are screening patrons at the entry points and are handing them disposable menus. Our staffers have been provided with disposable PPEs, which they will cast off after using them for a couple of hours," said a restaurant owner in the city.
"We have kept our menu limited and are presently operating at 50 per cent sitting capacity and not allowing more than two persons at a table" said Sadanand Safalika, owner of Sai Prasad Hotel, Bandra East.
A spokesperson of a popular city mall said that eateries in the mall would remain open in accordance with mall timings.
"The dining out spaces and food courts are being fumingated routinely, patrons are not allowed inside the malls unless they have Aarogya Setu app installed. Also the mall management has asked the food chains to encourage cashless payment as much as possible," said the spokesperson.
However, restaurant owners have also complained that they are facing a serious staff crunch.
"There are fewer staff at the hotels and we are compelled to limit our services for this reason. I don't think we will be able to start operations in full swing before Diwali," said the manager of a popular restaurant franchise in the city.
"We are mostly banking on local food deliveries, as we cannot operate dine-in facilities, given that many of our workers have quit and in this pandemic, there is a crisis in hiring new people as well," said Deepak Kapila, owner of a restaurant in Kandivli.
Meanwhile, officegoers and commuters heaved a sigh of relief as eateries opened.
"Travelling nowadays take four hours at least. Often, we are famished in the midst of our commute and feel fatigued. Now that restaurants are open, we can at least get something to eat, instead of starving for long hours," said Chinmay Prasad, a private sector employee.
"I am a sales person and my job involves travelling across the city. Now that restaurants are open, it is a relief for me, as it is not possible for me to carry a lunchbox everyday," said Deepak Asolkar, a senior sales executive.