Chennai: Dine-in hotels to open from Monday – Times of India

CHENNAI: Restaurants will resume dine-in services from Monday, after a break of 70 days in the city. However, the number of restaurants to open their shutters on Monday could be limited due to issues over paucity for labours and poor finances to renovate the facilities that remained shut for more than two months. Eateries that would open are unlikely to increase prices in Chennai, though restaurants across the rest of TN are mulling a 10% increase in prices in the next couple of weeks.

On Sunday, restaurants engaged employees to clean their interiors. Tables were arranged to ensure social distancing being maintained between every table. With the government allowing only 50 per cent of total seating capacity to be available for dine-in services, small tables will have one chair and larger tables with a capacity to accommodate four persons to eat out will have only two chairs on opposite sides. Air-conditioners will not be allowed in restaurants and South Indian dishes would be initially available in all eateries. While non-availability of guest workers is massive challenge, some restaurants have hired local workforce to tide-over the crisis.
K T Srinivasa Raja, managing director of Adyar Ananda Bhavan said that labours, who were rendered unemployed in other sectors during the lockdown, have come in handy to recruit required manpower. “We have provided training for those taking up jobs in the restaurant sector on part time. The employees have been screened to check their health status,” he said.
Hospitality sector sources observed that 25 per cent of the 8000 eateries situated in a radius of 30 kilometres from Chennai are expected to be reopened for dine-in on Monday. Several restaurants will remain closed and few continue to offer takeaway services. M Ravi, president of The Chennai Hotels Association said that the outbreak of Coronavirus has crippled the hospitality sector and banks have not come to their rescue in any way. “In fact, many restaurants are unable to source capital for renovation and cleaning their facilities to reopen, which would continue to be shut. Still, our association has resolved not to increase prices and we will stick to the price tag of the previous menu card,” he added.
On the other hand, Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, a body that represents restaurants across the state outside Chennai, said that they would analyse the impact on expenditure such as providing masks and sanitisers to employees and customers. “The price could rise by 10 per cent because the number of visitors to consume food inside restaurants has been capped at 50 per cent, which is another challenge for our revenue,” it’s president M Venkata Subbu said.