‘This Halal Vs Non-Halal Fight Is Causing Losses, Creating Fear’

Rahul Kumar, a restaurateur in Bengaluru, says the sudden hateful controversy created over meat products in the state may force him to close his business

I have been running a restaurant in Bangalore for the past seven years. In the past few weeks, there has been a lot of disturbances in Karnataka over religious issues. Now, the food is caught in the controversy — halal vs non-halal meat.

Amidst this, we witnessed how some goo ns targeted a restaurant owner over serving halal meat in a restaurant. This incident has alarmed other restaurateurs like us. We serve both Muslim and non- Muslim customers without any discrimination since starting of the business. But recent incidents have made us fear for our lives. Mahaul kharab ho gaya hai.

To assure our Muslim customers, we have printed on our signboard that we serve halal food. I’m afraid that I’ll have to remove the word ‘halal’ from there. This means that we are definitely going to lose over 20% of our customers.

During pandemic, restaurant businesses were severely affected. We have come down to 50% of sales compared to pre-pandemic time. At this time, when the business is already going through a difficult period, losing those customers will be a huge setback for us. I will have to re-consider whether it’s viable to run the food business when we are continuously losing the market.

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The rising communal divide in the state is going to affect everything — even businesses like us. Though such incidents are happening in other districts of the state, the fire will soon reach at our doorstep. If the peace is disturbed in the city, small businesses are going to suffer the most. Nobody is going to barge in Domino’s or McDonald’s or KFC, where security arrangements are in place, to pressurise them to serve a particular kind of meat, but small restaurants like us are vulnerable to frenzied mobs.

I witnessed a similar backlash in 2017, when there was a sudden protest in the city by pro-Kannada groups who were demanding that every signboard must use Kannada language. My restaurant’s signboard was torn off because it didn’t use Kannada language. I thank my stars that they stopped at the signboard and didn’t damage things inside the restaurant. Yet, it was distressful. We didn’t know that there was such a rule to use Kannada on signboards.

Such incidents pose a threat to the growth of a cosmopolitan city. All big and small businesses have played a crucial role in building Bangalore. The Kannadigas Vs outsiders or Hindu Vs Muslim issues will spook small businesses, which will eventually move to a different state like Telangana where such problems don’t exist.

I think that the Karnataka government should take stern actions against such people who are trying to cause trouble in the city. If the peace in the city is disturbed, aam aadmi will suffer the most.

* Rahul Kumar requested not to use his picture for the story. The picture used is for representational purpose

As told to Md Tausif Alam

Breath Nightclub Lounge And Bar

‘Night Curfew Doesn’t Break The Chain, Only Hurts Business’

Yash Singhal, owner of Breath Fine Lounge & Bar in New Delhi, says the night curfew will not serve its desired purpose. Singhal also rues zero support to hospitality sector from the Govt

Well begun is half done, they say. But what do you say when your venture has to close down the very week or so it opens? I had just launched my venture, Breath Fine Lounge & Bar, and had barely got the license to operate on March 12, 2020 when the lockdown was announced. Imagine having a business shut down even before it has properly started!

And we remained shut for nearly six months and could resume business only around mid-September (I had to pay rent for those six months). In what has been a terrible year for businesses across sectors, hospitality was perhaps the worst hit. And just when we are finding feet again now, comes the night curfew.

A busy evening at Breath in happier times

I wish the government imposed a lockdown for a few days rather than night curfew for an unspecified period. For, in my eyes a night curfew does not ‘break the chain’, it only impacts businesses like ours, and in turn the livelihoods of the people we employ. Our night club is allowed to remain open till 1 am, but now we have to close at 9 pm. For a nightlife hub, things only begin to warm up at 9 pm.

ALSO READ: ‘A Pub Can’t Make Profit At 50% Occupancy’

People generally get off work around 7-7:30 pm and then need an hour or so to get ready and travel and then reach a place to unwind at around 9 in the evening. Closing down at 9 means we have to take our last order at 8:15 pm. Where does that leave us? Nowhere!

Our occupancy rates have gone down by more than 50% even when we are just recovering from last year’s setback. We have seating capacity of 200 people, but to ensure social distancing, it was brought down to 100. Yet, only 30-40 people come about in a good day (not at the same time). We used to host corporate parties and family gatherings. That circuit is now lost.

Singhal feels hospitality sector is one the worst-hits by Covid-19

I wish industry representatives had made a team and reached out to the government to tend to the woes of the hospitality sector. We are an entrepreneurial lot and always figure out ways to serve the customers better, but we need some policy support too. Our huge rents could have been waived off at such hard times and excise relaxations could have been provided. The DDMA (Department of Delhi Disaster Management Authority) needs to understand that the pandemic is unprecedented for everyone and the government should assist the more vulnerable sectors, such as ours.

The hospitality sector is seen as a glamorous sector and many of us have financially sound backgrounds. But with a year and more of the pandemic, even those with strong savings are under severe stress. We want to cooperate with the government and fight Covid seriously, but then proper measures need to be in place.

I reiterate, a lockdown for a week or so will bring down more cases than a night curfew. Or maybe if lockdown is not an option, then strict monitoring during the day us required. I am sure we will win the war against coronanvirus, but all the sectors, plus the government and people, need to look out for each other. And we need to keep hoping for better times!

As Told To Yog Maya Singh