A day after the Delhi government announced shutting down of gyms, night clubs and spas till March 31st, in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, restaurant owners have also decided to susupend operations and shut their outlets till March 31st.
The decision was taken on Tuesday, 17th March by restaurateurs, who also pitched this idea to National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). As per government orders only nightclubs should be shut down, but the restuarant owners feel that this is is not the right time for them to continue operations. The decision (of shutting restaurants) has been taken keeping in mind the safety of their staff and patrons.
This is not the time when we should be thinking about business, said restaurateur Priyank Sukhija, also a member of NRAI. Priyank adds that it is not just NCR, they will shut restaurants all across the country from Wednesday midnight till March 31st.
“We are hoping that we do not have to extend this shutdown period. At this time, when we do not want our family to go out, we will also not want that our staff keeps working and people coming out to dine, “said Umang Tewari, Restaurateur and President of Connaught Place Restaurant Association (CPRA).
Restaurateurs who have decided to shut down eateries tonight are yet to decide if they will stop home delivery services. “For time being, most restaurants on board are the ones that do not have delivery options,” says restaurateur Dinesh Arora, also a member of CPRA. Rahul Singh, Restaurateur and member of NRAI, adds, “Cloud kitchen will continue to work, so people won’t face problems in ordering food online. Delivery business can continue on a contact-less basis.”
