Take-aways dip, Steel City eateries struggle to keep kitchen fire burning

Jamshedpur: Hotels and restaurants in the Steel City, which have resumed operations partially, have said their business will continue to suffer if the government does not allow them to serve food to customers at their establishments.
The government had directed the hotels and restaurants to open partially by allowing customers to take away food in parcels but were denied to serve inside their premises.
Novelty Restaurant manager Vijay Kumar said, “There’s a substantial drop in the daily business of the restaurant. The parcel business is not doing well.”
Noting that it will take time to control the Covid-19 pandemic, Kumar said the food industry will continue to suffer for the next few months.
The staff of another popular restaurant, Sukh Sagar, said their business has come down to a mere 20%.
“The parcel arrangement cannot replace the sitting and dining practice. In the home delivery and take away systems, customers order for the core food and avoid side dishes, including starters and desserts. These systems make the scope of business limited,” said a staff member of the leading vegetarian restaurant.
An employee of Anand Hotel, a popular food joint for office goers and college students, said the government should allow the industry to resume sitting and dining with regulatory measures to prevent infections.
The hotel’s manager, Rama Shankar, said, “Food cannot be stored for several days like other consumable items. We are dealing with highly perishable items. The government should consider this aspect and allow the food industry to run after implementing SOPs like the footwear and ready made garment stores.”
Sachin Budhraja, the owner of the Blue Sapphire Family Restaurant, said he is not optimistic about the food business doing well if the current Covid situation prevails. He said, “The parcel facility has given us a window to survive. We pray to God that the pandemic goes away soon so that we return to our old way of business.”
Randeep Bhatia, secretary of the Jamshedpur Hotels and Restaurants' Association, said, “Even during Durga Puja and Diwali, the food industry is unlikely to see any improvement as people are not keen on visiting restaurants. Moreover, retrenchment and salary cuts have stopped the foodies from spending.”