The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has written to the Maharashtra State Government to allow restaurants to operate for an additional two hours effective this month. With the holiday season at its peak, hotels and restaurants everywhere across the world are hoping to make the most of what is left in the year. The HRAWI in its letter to the Government has stated that an extension of two hours to the existing closing time of 11:30 pm, has the potential to generate anywhere between Rs.50 Cr to Rs.75 Cr per day. Prior to the lockdown coming into effect earlier this year, restaurants were allowed to operate until 1:30 am. The Association has also requested that dine-ins be allowed to accommodate customers at full capacity.

“The Maha Government has taken pragmatic steps all the way and has handled the spread of the pandemic as best as anyone could. We are really glad that the Government allowed our industry to open, but by then we had lost over 8 months of business. There is a very small window from now until the New Year’s and the Hospitality industry hopes to capitalize on this. It is with this hope that we are requesting the Government to allow restaurants to revert to their original operation hours. It would also be necessary to point out here that restaurants mostly receive customers only post 8 pm, especially in the cities. Closing within 3 hours of prime business time has a major downside. Besides, it would help in maintaining the distancing norm as the crowd would be spread over a few more hours,” said Sherry Bhatia, president, HRAWI.

The HRAWI has indicated that not just restaurants, but if malls and other social places were to be allowed to operate for a couple of hours more, it could easily boost revenues for the State by at least 30 per cent. It has also pointed out that allowing restaurants to operate for the full hours will allow re-employment of the staff. The Association has estimated that roughly 50,000 people across the State could become employed with this small change.

“Not only will hotels and restaurants benefit from this but we are sure even patrons will appreciate it. At present, diners have to be at the restaurant before 9:30 pm max to ensure they have a table. The last order is taken latest by 10:30 pm to ensure that the restaurant closes by 11:30 pm. Restaurants have to turn customers away because of this and most of the diners arrive only after 9 pm. Despite having space and empty tables restaurants can’t accommodate them because of the 50 per cent limit on capacity. We are requesting the Government to allow restaurants to operate until 1:30 PM like it were in the pre-Covid times and help the industry recover, even if in a small capacity,” concludes Pradeep Shetty, sr. VP, HRAWI.