Young generation loves to dine out

It is daylight or night-time, dining out remains the single largest category of spending by the young generation of Rawalpindi. Most of them spend money on fast food at outlets such as KFC or McDonald's, Pizza Square, Burger King, Slider Zone, Thunder Zone, Lebanese Corner, Asian Wok, Bull Steak House, Butt Karahi, Hot & Spicy etc., which have become their popular hangouts.

“My son’s fast-food bill comes to a whopping amount of rupees per month. Although he has never asked me for money, he's sometimes felt the pain of spending his entire salary, though not enough to make him re-examine his spending,” says Qalb-e-Sadiq.

“It makes no difference whether the young person is a boy or a girl, rich or poor, overweight or not, every day, friends drive and pick each other up and head straight to their favourite fast food site. My son waits anxiously for his friend to come home and drive him for his preferred dose,” says Ali Raza Rizvi.

“It's sad for me to watch my kids waste their money, but I think they have to learn their own hard lessons, and I must stick to my guns. If they run out of money, I don't give them as it hurts me to see them enslaved by the flavours of food industry,” says Jawad Naqvi.

“I have learnt that nagging and pointing out facts about a fast-food diet or making sarcastic comments about spending on fast-food consumption definitely does not work,” adds Jawad.

Zain Zaidi says: “As part of new urban culture fast food is becoming the top vice among the young people. They love it. One can’t imagine how much junk food they eat. Fast food and snacks eat into their budgets.”

“Snacks like ‘dahi bhala’, ‘aloo tikki’, ‘samosa chaat’, ‘bun kebab’, ‘chana masala’, ‘chapli kebab’, ‘shami kebab’, ‘seekh kebab’, ‘malai tikka boti’, ‘reshami kebab’ and ‘pakora’ are at the top of young generation’s choice list,” says Ahsan Ali.

Adeem Raza says: “School-children, college and university students, as well as young employees choose to dine out at restaurants these days that sell junk food, a habit that was once only associated with the upper middle class or the elite.”

“With the change in the habits of young generation, the food business is flourishing. International fast food chains have been set up across the city. Nearly every restaurant in the city is seen filled to capacity. This shows the irresistible taste people have developed for fast food,” says Zaki Baqri. Ali Haider Rizvi says: “These days education has become so stressful that we feel the need to relax by having a good meal at our favourite restaurant.