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Bars in Chandigarh turn into restaurants, cafes to stay afloat
Even if the administration gives the green signal on June 30, it could take microbreweries several weeks to restart operations.
While waiting for the UT administration to decide on June 30 whether alcohol should be served in hospitality establishments, a few bars still open in the city have started rebuilding their image as cafes and restaurants in order to make up for the losses incurred during the lockdown.
Director of Social, a bar and restaurant in Sector 7, Manish Goel, said, “During the day, Social used to be more like a cafe than a bar, and we are trying to reinstate that image. We have started receiving regular [customers] who come for the food.”
Though there was barely anyone present in Social on Saturday afternoon, Goel’s other outlet, Swagath, in Sector 26 hasn’t been as affected because of food being its “USP”, he said.
Meanwhile in Elante Mall, bars have remained closed so far owing to some disagreement over rent. But Pyramid will be open from Monday onwards for both dine-in and delivery of food. Proprietor Sunveer Sondhi said, “It will be different operating Pyramid as a restaurant, but we are hopeful that the administration will allow us to serve alcohol after June 30. That’s why we have restarted the business.”
“However, if the same movement restrictions as in Mohali are applied to the city, it will affect us adversely,” added Sondhi, who has developed an app for ordering food at his bar to abolish interaction between customers and staff.
MAKE YOUR OWN BAR
Some outlets are providing the vibe of a bar at the customers’ homes. Gaah, a city-based entertainment company, which runs Upstairs Club in Sector 5, Panchkula, has started a home delivery of cocktail premixes.
Co-founder of Gaah, Karan Bajaj, said, “It has been a week since we started the service and so far, we’ve sold over 250 drink mixes. Even after bars are allowed to open, we will continue to provide the product as people will be reluctant to step out. We are also collating playlists on Spotify for our customers to recreate the bar experience at their homes.”
Even if the administration gives the green signal on June 30, it could take microbreweries several weeks to restart operations and reopen. Manager of the Great Bear Kitchen and Microbrewery in Sector 26, Debdip Chaterjee, said, “We have been closed for around three months now and all our staff is out of the city. It will take us some time to bring them back. Brewing beer takes around three weeks and we will have to start from scratch.”
