Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, not to mention the increase in taxes and duties to the government, the Food and Beverage scene in Bengaluru has managed to survive with neither relief nor sympathy. The restaurant fraternity has always been the first to deal with issues like recessions, pandemics and public laws. While they have become accustomed to being an easy target, there is a limit before this becomes too much. There is just one after another relentless issue that the industry faces day to day.
Restaurants usually have two worthwhile time-slots — lunch and dinner service — lasting about two hours each at best due to all the policing and curfews. Allowing restaurants to remain open for longer hours, or even 24/7 if they want to, will help them extend the meal hours, thereby also having an opportunity to accommodate more customers. Further, more than 60% of most revenue is earned over the weekend and around the clock functioning on these days will help the industry to recover at least some of the losses from the pandemic days.
However, this too comes with hurdles. Pubs may seem like a nuisance to some, especially in the residential areas, and there is definitely a stigma around them. But it is often forgotten that these establishments are also responsible for providing many jobs. Overall, the hospitality industry provides close to 7.3 million jobs, and each one is feeding even more mouths. That amount has shrunk by over 50% because of the pandemic. Most establishments are still reeling from the pandemic, with most of their employees not yet returning to work amongst other problems.
