Coronavirus: Testing times for Delhi restaurants

With cinema halls, schools and colleges shut in the Capital as a precautionary measure over the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most asked questions is now, ‘how safe is it to eat out?’ We spoke to a few city restaurateurs on their in-house precautions and whether COVID-19 is eating into their business.
“Our biggest competition is now the consumer’s home,” says restaurateur Zorawar Kalra. “People are not going out for social gatherings.

We expect this to be temporary and sales to get back to normal once the summer sets in. However, the impact is not just in India but across the seven countries we operate in.” With the Corona scare on the rise, Dinesh Arora, Founder of Unplugged Courtyard and La Roca, is being extra cautious. “Awareness is the key to stop this. So, we are putting our best foot forward to keep our staff and costumers updated towards the health advisory issued by the government.

We have made sure that there are sanitisers on every table as the hygiene and health of the customer is our upmost priority,” says Arora, who agrees about the slowdown in the hospitality industry as people are cautious about the situation. “We need to understand that while we’re doing everything we can to help the situation and hope for things to turn back to the way they were, it is not just good for business but also for the health of everyone,” adds Arora.

Handing sanitisers to customers has become an unsaid norm and Amit Bagga, Co-founder of Daryaganj restaurant, had the practice listed as a company policy for over a year back. “With the virus scare, this practice has become crucial and we have stocked sanitisers that will be enough for the next two months,” says Bagga, adding, “We are cleaning and sanitising the restaurant three times – before opening, during the break and after closing. The kitchen staff is wearing masks and both, kitchen and service staff, are required to sanitise their hands with washing soap every hour.”

Bagga is also keeping a close eye on the employees, having them checked with infra-red thermometers and sending back home the ones with fever or cold. “Our mall outlets don’t have washrooms, but the others are being cleaned and sanitised every half hour,” adds Bagga. Stepping up their cleaning process is Vikrant Batra, Founder of Cafe Delhi Heights, who is making sure that all the outlets are cleaned, sanitised and disinfected several times a day. “Employees are instructed to regularly clean doors, handles, tables, chairs and bathrooms.

We have also arranged disposable masks and good-quality hand sanitisers in every outlet for the guests and the staff. Employees are encouraged to wash their hands repeatedly and maintain personal hygiene,” says Batra, who is willing to go the extra mile to support his employees and customers.

“The industry has not seen much of an impact but the current situation is that of panic which requires people to maintain their calm along with social distance and personal hygiene. As a brand, we have abided by our social responsibility and are doing as much as we can towards offering the cleanest and safest ambiance along with hygienic food and drinks to our guests.”

What’s more interesting is how chefs are using food to reach out to people and make them aware of the virus. Take the case of Chanchal Datta, Corporate Chef of The Urban Room. “Sometimes, inspiration comes from the worst,” says the chef. “We just want to spread awareness via food. This is not a comment on anyone’s personal loss or feelings. We have created Chilli Beans Bomb Shell, smoked carrots and paprika velouté lava, paprika and raw turmeric ash, sous-vide honey tomato stick. It is served with a note on how to maintain self-hygiene.”