'4 out of 10 will shut down': Coronavirus outbreak unsettles India's restaurants

'4 out of 10 will shut down': Coronavirus outbreak unsettles India's restaurants

Coronavirus lockdown has triggered an existential crisis for restaurants; many of them see no viability in reopening

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Coronavirus impact: Restaurant industry takes a beatingCoronavirus impact: Restaurant industry takes a beating
Mukesh Adhikary
  • Jun 8, 2020,
  • Updated Jun 8, 2020 8:30 PM IST

Thomas Fenn enters the restaurant with a couple of staff members to clean up the place - it's 42 degrees outside and the dogs who depend on leftover food from the street's eating joints have become thin and frail.

As he opens the door, sunrays enter the 48-seater hall and dust particles jump up to dance in the air.

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All tables and chairs are kept in one corner. Instead of the babel of voices Fenn is familiar with in the 3,400 square foot area, there's untroubled silence - the restaurant has been shut for 55 days.

Fenn, 32 years old, is the founder of Mahabelly, a Malayali restaurant in the back lane of DLF Avenue mall in Delhi. The restaurant is popular and a favourite of many in the city.

While Thomas looks forward to opening up in the near future as restrictions ease, he is circumspect about viability of running the restaurant.

Lease rentals are very high and fixed costs will go up due to new sanitation and social distancing norms.

"I am expecting 4 out of 10 restaurants to shut down permanently," says Thomas as he explains the damage coronavirus lockdown has had on the industry.

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All dine-in services have remained shut since March 25 when the lockdown began. The government has allowed them to open on June 8, but not all are in a position to kickstart operations.

Thomas Fenn enters the restaurant with a couple of staff members to clean up the place - it's 42 degrees outside and the dogs who depend on leftover food from the street's eating joints have become thin and frail.

As he opens the door, sunrays enter the 48-seater hall and dust particles jump up to dance in the air.

Advertisement

All tables and chairs are kept in one corner. Instead of the babel of voices Fenn is familiar with in the 3,400 square foot area, there's untroubled silence - the restaurant has been shut for 55 days.

Fenn, 32 years old, is the founder of Mahabelly, a Malayali restaurant in the back lane of DLF Avenue mall in Delhi. The restaurant is popular and a favourite of many in the city.

While Thomas looks forward to opening up in the near future as restrictions ease, he is circumspect about viability of running the restaurant.

Lease rentals are very high and fixed costs will go up due to new sanitation and social distancing norms.

"I am expecting 4 out of 10 restaurants to shut down permanently," says Thomas as he explains the damage coronavirus lockdown has had on the industry.

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All dine-in services have remained shut since March 25 when the lockdown began. The government has allowed them to open on June 8, but not all are in a position to kickstart operations.

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