Deadlines lifted, eateries hope for swift return to normal in Delhi

Starting from Tuesday, restaurants and bars in the city will no longer need to wrap up operations by 10pm, a deadline that adversely restricted activity and operations during a crucial window of the day.

With a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) order lifting timing restrictions on the operations of restaurants, malls, and other establishments, thousands associated with the sector said they hope business will now return to normal and help recover losses.

The state imposed a complete lockdown in the Capital from April 19 amid an intense rise in Covid-19 cases. (HT Photo)

Starting from Tuesday, restaurants and bars in the city will no longer need to wrap up operations by 10pm, a deadline that adversely restricted activity and operations during a crucial window of the day.

The state imposed a complete lockdown in the Capital from April 19 amid an intense rise in Covid-19 cases. As infections started declining, the government began implementing a phased relaxation process from May 31. Markets were allowed to open everyday from June 14 but with restricted working hours till 8pm. Meanwhile, restaurants were allowed to open till 10pm.

Restaurateurs said that restrictions on business in the evening reduced dinner sales and were hampering recovery.

“We welcome and applaud the relaxation of rules by the Delhi government in terms of operational hours. It is an extremely encouraging move for the F&B [food and beverage] industry, which will help us to recover and revive our business slowly but surely. A lot of our dinner guests, at both SOCIAL and Smoke House Deli, have been wanting to stay past 10pm and extend their night, and being operational for longer will allow us to do just that. It also gives us room to cater to our guests comfortably without overcrowding at any point in time,” said Satyajit Dhingra, chief regional officer (north), Impresario Handmade Restaurants.

“Our strict safety and hygiene protocols remain in play, with 50% capacity and adequate social distancing at all our restaurants,” Dhingra added.

Saurabh Suman, manager of Pebble Street in New Friends Colony (NFC), said restricted timings discouraged guests from visiting the outlet for dinner, a crucial driver of daily sales.

“Guests were not comfortable due to the early wrap-up deadline. People usually arrive for dinner by 7.30-8.30pm. By then, we already need to start preparing for the closure. Due to these limitations, people stopped planning dinner outings.”

Welcoming the move, SN Kaushal, senior manager of Kwality restaurant at Connaught Place, said, “It doesn’t look good when someone is out for dinner and we have to constantly remind them to wrap up early. Some guests would also complain about the same. Now, we will be able to serve our guests as before,” said Kaushal.