Mumbai: We are dealing with the human factor here says top restaurateur

Eateries will have to adhere to SOPs when they open. Pic/Getty Images

Gurbaxish Kohli vice-president in charge, Federation of Hotels and Restaurants' Association of India (FHRAI), and past president Hotels and Restaurants' Association of Western India (HRAWI), is like the rest of his ilk, gearing up for Mumbai's culinaryscape to take one step closer to normal, with the government giving the green light to restaurants to open. Here, the Dadar resident and restaurateur speaks out about opening preparations, patronage amidst pandemic and more...

The opening is slated for October first week, which date in particular?
That is yet to be decided, we will know in a few days. We have started preparing within these seven days, we have to undertake deep cleaning, sanitation, fumigation, and electric appliances have to be switched on and checked. We have our labour problems too. This industry has 60 to 70 per cent migratory labour. Many workers have left, they may be unable to travel back because not all states have travel options. This is also the harvest season in villages, when in normal times too, staff used to go and come back post Navratri, so we will just have to see what to do now, and take rapid decisions.

Gurbaxish Kohli, restaurateur

What will be the situation inside smaller restaurants? How can one distance?
There will be I guess, some patrons seated at one table and then, a table will be empty and the next one occupied. We cannot have a blanket percentage figure, like say 30 per cent patrons allowed, as 30 per cent may mean very different things to a small restaurant and a sprawling establishment. All protocols will be followed, including distancing. You must realise that it is not just the guests, but owners who are concerned about their staff and themselves too. We are dealing with the human factor. So, it will naturally be strict adherence to rules as we open.

Bars have also been given the go ahead…
What is this nomenclature about bars? There is no such distinction when it comes to a license. All 'bars' need an eating house license here. Even in a bar-like ambience one will see that a person will be sitting at a table enjoying a drink, but at a distance from the next. Even owners do not like patrons putting staff like the bartender perhaps, in any danger.

There were restaurants doing very well on takeaways and deliveries. Could this not be continued?
Food aggregators were doing very well, considering the fat commissions they were charging restaurants. Cloud kitchens too were in a good space (cloud kitchens are kitchens set up for food deliveries only). We had dine-in restaurants doing takeaway, in fact even five-stars now do deliveries which would never happen earlier. For dine-in restaurants though, this is not a sustainable long-term business model, it brings in eight to 20 per cent of the business.

There is happiness mixed with trepidation for owners...
Yes, you have seen reports about the ripple of happiness in the industry. There is some concern though about whether people will frequent. We do discern from certain indicators though that people will come. Go to Matunga in the morning and you will see people standing in lines outside the many South Indian restaurants there and occasionally you see a queue at the pani puri wallah too (laughs).

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