Dine-in customers at eateries are scarce even after they have reopened following a nationwide lockdown, although takeaways and deliveries are picking up pace, restaurant chains told ET.
Customer footfalls are at about 5-8% of the levels seen before the pandemic but are likely to go up in the next few weeks, they said.
“So far the footfalls have been slow…early curfew coupled with no alcohol service has been a deterrent,” said AD Singh, managing director of Olive Group of Restaurants, which runs 15 brands across six cities, including Olive Bar & Kitchen, SodaBottleOpenerwala, Toast & Tonic and The Fatty Bao.
Industry lobby group, National Restaurant Association of India, is also separately reaching out to states, urging them to permit serving of alcohol and compress curfew timings.
Sagar Daryani, cofounder of Wow! Momo said people movement in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai has been minimal, while Bengaluru, Calcutta, Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar are cautiously opening up.
“The fear psychosis still prevails among people when it comes to eating out or sitting in groups,” he said.
Wow! Momos is operational in 120 of 345 outlets across cities. McDonald’s India has also opened up dine-in services in over 100 stores across 25 cities in the West and South. Other chains such as Pizza Hut and Cafe Coffee Day are also open for business.
The next four months are expected to be tough for the sector, but businesses expect footfalls to touch 12-15% in the coming weeks.
Technology-led transformation
Restaurants that have opened up look different now.
Technology and safety protocols are at the heart of operations, superseding ambience. They are also sanitizing all prepared food boxes under UV disinfectant before dispatch, adopting contactless dining and payment solutions as well as third-party hygiene audits to instil confidence among diners.
“(Under our WeAssure program) we have re-engineered our guest experiences with zero or minimal associate engagement, including digital ordering, contactless billing, and sanitized crockery, cutlery, tableware, separators, and re-modelled hotel layout to support safe distancing,” said Zubin Songadwala, Area Manager South, ITC Hotels.
Others such as Marriott International and Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts are also working to standardize operating procedures to ensure safety of guests.
Fast-food chains like Pizza Hut and Mc Donald’s, and others such as Smokehouse Deli, Slay Coffee and Cafe Coffee Day are also adopting technology solutions to lower consumer touchpoints.
More than half a dozen companies, including Zomato, Dineout, Paytm, Dotpe, V-Tab and GoKhana are enabling the transition by offering low-cost contactless dining and payment solutions, while others like Hygiene Quotient and Equinox Labs are providing audits.
Implementing these protocols may not, however, be financially viable for some small businesses.
“Once a restaurant decides to open up, several processes need to be set, including re-modelling interiors, pest controls, relooking all plant and machinery, working around new hygiene norms set by the government, ordering new raw materials, getting workforce together…,” said Anurag Katriar, president of NRAI. “Finding the working capital for these processes may not be viable for all.”
More chains expected to open
Several restaurants including ITC Hotel’s Royal Afghan, and Impresario’s Smokehouse Deli are set to open up over the course of the week, as businesses approach relaunches in a phased manner.
“We are gradually opening up…and our team has doubled down on giving people a superlative and safe experience,” said Jaydeep Mukherjee, Brand Head, Smoke House Deli.
Diners in Bengaluru told ET that they would step out only to celebrate occasions, to buy essentials, or conduct business meetings and will continue to avoid other social gatherings for a few weeks.
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