Despite the Karnataka government green-signalling restaurants, malls and retail stores to remain open till 1 AM, Bengaluru establishments remain on the fence. On July 29, the state government issued an order to extend the deadline for shops, hotels and other establishments under BBMP(Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), to 1 AM. And while many expected the establishments to instantly warm up to the idea for revenue purposes, this is not the case. Read on to know why.
Bengaluru Restaurants, Pubs, Shops Sceptical To Stay Open Till 1 AM
As per a report by Deccan Herald, Suhel Yusuf, the secretary of Brigade Road Shops And Establishments Association, stated that none of the merchants are open to extending the deadline of their stores. He gave many reasons for their reluctance to keep shops open till 1 AM in Bengaluru. Yusuf explains that there wasn’t any guarantee that extending working hours and hiring more staff would guarantee enough footfall to offset the cost.
Also, he calls it “impractical” to expect the existing staff to extend their work hours. Moreover, shop owners are worried about the “nuisance” created by pub-goers in the area. So, unless the law is beefed up, Suhel Yusuf doesn’t see this idea taking off in Bengaluru. When it comes to mobile phone shops, bookstores and pop culture merchandise stores on MG Road and Church Street, they don’t see any point in staying open till 1 AM.
“Nuisance” Created By Pub Goers, No Additional Revenue
These store owners believe that extending deadlines would work in favour of restaurants and pubs. One shopkeeper told Deccan Herald that since the area isn’t a residential locality it would mean less business for them once the office crowd leaves. However, restaurant and brewery owners on Church Street and MG Road aren’t excited about this idea either. Hasan Mandal manager of a biryani outlet on Church Street spoke about a pilot project that didn’t take off.
The restaurant stayed open till 1 AM between April and May last year. However, it didn’t attract a lot of customers post 10 PM-11 PM. Vijay Kumar, operations manager of a brewery also relayed similar thoughts. In his opinion, late-night operations haven’t garnered additional revenue.
Shekhar Naidu who runs a popular chain has jumped on board with the idea. He has extended the timings of two outlets to 1 AM, sceptically. As it runs the risk of food wastage, he is willing to go back to the previous timings if it doesn’t take off. However, PC Rao of BBMP remains optimistic that Bengalureans may stay outdoors to shop and go restaurant hopping during Diwali. And this may garner additional revenue for malls, restaurants, pubs and retail stores operating till 1 AM.
Bengalureans, would you welcome the change of hanging around the city post-midnight?
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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