COVID-19 impact on New Year’s Eve: Restaurants in Bengaluru to cancel reservations
The Hindu
Hospitality industry says restrictions will spell disaster for them, and wants rules relaxed
Pub and restaurant owners are a worried lot as the State Government on Sunday announced night curfew for 10 days. They will now have to cancel reservations made for New Year’s Eve and give customers a refund for the bookings already made.
The industry is unhappy with the sudden change of plans. Ajay Nagaraj of Total Environment Hospitality said that the move was “disastrous” for the hospitality industry as it was the peak season for them. “We had planned to have a live band and will have to cancel it. Our last orders will have to be at 9 p.m.,” he said.
Agreeing, Veerendra Kamat, Secretary of Bruhat Bangalore Hotel Association, said as there was a 10 p.m. curfew, people would choose not to venture out after 8 p.m. “It is the holiday season and our revenues would be massively affected,” he said. He also questioned how a night curfew would prevent transmission of COVID-19 or a possible third wave.