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Customers show faith as dine-in resumes
As the dine-in resumed from June 21, the restaurants in the state capital reported good response from the Lucknowites
As the dine-in resumed from June 21, the restaurants in the state capital reported good response from the Lucknowites. Currently, food joints are allowed to function on weekdays till 9 pm with 50% capacity and they are shut for dine-in on Saturdays and Sundays due to corona curfew.
The past week projected an encouraging response from the city foodies who turned-up in good numbers. “It’s great to be back in business but as we have to close by 9 pm, so definitely we are losing on the night business which is usually our peak hour. If we are allowed to open on Saturdays and Sundays for dine-in, with proper Covid-protocols, then we will be able to revive our businesses much faster,” says Manoj Bachani of Richi Rich restaurant.
College student Yash Srivastava, while sipping his coffee at his favourite Rovers Café in Hazratganj, share that he came all the way from Indira Nagar to taste a piping-hot cuppa at his favourite food joint which is now open for dine-in.
Clubs in the state capital are back in action. “We have ensured that the entire staff is vaccinated for the safety of our patrons. Now we are functional till 10 pm as per new excise department circular. It does not restrict us to close on any day but since restaurants are not allowed dine-in on Saturday-Sunday, so we are operating only on five days,” says Oudh Gymkhana Club secretary Ashok Agarwal.
The plush lounges are slowly making a comeback too. “At Vibhuti Khand circuit, I hope by first week of July most of us will restart operations. In our complex, Farzi Café, My Bar, Firefly and Vintage Machine are already functional. We are opening from July 1. Hopefully, the weekend closure and 10 pm (only for restro-bars) restriction will be removed which is the major business period,” says Gaurav Singh partner of Boombox.
The Flying Saucer Café, in the same locality, is also opening its doors from June 28. Kamli Bristo that was launched for public in April this year and immediately closed due to partial corona curfew is also staging a comeback in July.
Hilton Garden Inn’s head of F&B operations Akash Rathod informs that, with 50% permissible capacity, they have closed the week with nearly sold-out occupancy at their restaurant. “We are requesting guests to get reservations done so that they don’t have to wait. The dine-in turnout was phenomenon,” he adds.
For safety reasons and drive-in experiences foodies are opting for dining at suburban joints as well. “We have people driving in from main city for an open ambience food experience. We are offering a pre-fixed menu that people are enjoying to the hilt. We even have guests coming for a weekend stay with food packages combined,” said Ramada Lucknow’s deputy general manager Amitesh Singh.
