Restaurants welcome new unlock rules and extension in timings

Restaurants in Mumbai breathed a sigh of relief as the government has announced an extension in the timing for dine-in. On August 11, The Maharashtra Government has announced multiple relaxations in the coronavirus restrictions across the state. The new SOPs will come into effect on August 15. 

While hotels and restaurants across the state were allowed to run only until 4 PM, the revised guidelines allow establishments to extend their timings until 10 PM. 

Commenting on the development, Shivanand Shetty, President, AHAR told Mumbai Live,” We are happy to be granted the time extension till 10 pm hours and welcome this step. We have been having regular discussions and meetings with the CM and other elected representatives for relaxing our operational timings and this announcement has brought a smile on the faces of those associated with this beleaguered industry. We have asked our members to maintain high standards of hygiene and co-operate with the concerned authorities. Seeing the decreasing number of covid cases we are optimistic that the administration will do away with all restrictions soon and things would be back to normal. “

Karan Kabu, Owner, Light House Cafe had a similar sentiment as he shared, "This is a big relief for the hospitality industry. Being a bar owner, I will say that is not as good as the old 1.30 am timing. But at this point, 10 pm is huge progress so no one will be complaining. We hope it only gets better from here".

Aji Nair, COO food and beverages division, Mirah Hospitality (that operates Khandani Rajdhani, Bayroute and Hitchki) also welcomed the decision. Talking to Mumbai Live, he said, “It’s been a long wait. This will definitely give a breather to the sinking restaurant Industry. With a faster vaccinations drive and strict restrictions, we hope the industry will come back to normalcy at the earliest”.

 However, the rising number of cases has become a cause of concern. Experts are pegging that the third wave may hit India by the end of this month and that is still a cause of worry. Most people are hoping that the ongoing vaccination drive will help ride through this upcoming wave.