Restaurant business relying on takeaways

Hanging out in favourite cafes, attending dinners at restaurants, and catching up with people in small eateries were a popular way of life in the city. It has been a noticeable and thriving trend for quite some time among food lovers in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

“The restaurant business has been the fastest-growing line of work in these cities. Expert chefs who are best in the skill of cooking delicious food facilitate the mushrooming of restaurants. There was a sharp rise in the number of families dining out compared to a few years back in the city as the average income of a household increased with more women joining the formal workforce. However, the Coronavirus Pandemic reversed the scene.

“Concerns over coronavirus have made it unlikely for these restaurants to be visited by foodies who diligently plan their restaurant outings after having heard about them from various media or who walk in for the experience of dining in a new joint. There is, thus, an increased possibility of more restaurateurs relying on food delivery in the times to come,” says manager at a café in Sector F-7/3 sector.

“Eating out has become very selective, minimalist experience, as people would postpone their get-togethers or only choose places where they feel safe. But that in its wake brought about a thriving takeaway food business,” says caretaker at another cafe, also located in the F-7/3 Sector.

A ‘murgh pulao’ in Satellite Town, manager says, “The expectation was that the lockdown would last for a month only, but after months when we got back to business somehow, there was news of the fourth wave of coronavirus. In the past, we did not have a home delivery service, as we wanted to position the cafe as a hangout space. However, after the arrival of coronavirus, we had to introduce a home delivery service.”

“The effect of the setback faced by our restaurant business during the pandemic was quite big, and how we took on or responded to the fourth wave of Coronavirus, is quite visible from takeaway business now,” adds the manager.

Manager of another ‘murgh pulao’ Hafz says, “The restaurant business accommodates a sizable workforce ranging from managers at the top to workers lower down the rungs. In the Coronavirus scenario, our restaurants remain inaccessible and restricted to delivery service and outdoor service only.

“Now how are we going to picture ourselves in the rising cases of the variants of Coronavirus, we don’t know? Will people refrain from dining out because they are financially constrained or because they are skeptical about safety? This may lead to further staff lay-offs, revenue loss and hence, impact the whole business,” adds the restaurant manager.