Restaurants face the heat in summer of ’24, business drops by up to 40 per cent – The New Indian Express
NEW DELHI: When the sun beats down, temperatures cross 40 degrees Celsius and a scorching summer seems even more unforgiving, stepping out for lunch is just not a thing to do.
And when the hot winds continue till night, dinner is not the best option either.
For non-mall restaurant business in Delhi-NCR, the summer of 2024 has been one of few reservations, drop in footfalls and near empty lunch hours with an estimated 25 per cent drop in business.
And some eateries say the number could be closer to 40 per cent.
Staring at empty tables and staggering losses, Rahul Arora, the owner of The Big Tree Cafe in Gurgaon, is one of them.
The USP of his restaurant as the name suggests is al-fresco dining experience. It thrives on that for a good part of the year.
“Typically, we do see a slight reduction in footfalls during the hotter months, but this year, the decline has been more pronounced due to the extreme temperatures. This has had a substantial impact on our business, affecting both our revenue and the overall dining experience that we pride ourselves on,” Arora told PTI.
“We have suffered a huge 40 per cent drop in business due to the record breaking sweltering heat,” he said.
Temperatures in and around Delhi have hit all time highs this summer.
On May 29, the day’s maximum temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius, recorded at the primary weather station Safdarjung Observatory, was a 79-year high.
It broke the previous record of 46.7 degrees Celsius, registered on June 17, 1945.
In Najafgarh area, temperatures soared even higher.
According to industry insiders, lunch hours are the worst hit with usual office goers and trusted shoppers preferring to stay indoors.
Besides, true-blue foodies are also ditching their weekly dine-outs and preferring to stay in.
The visible drop in footfalls in big market hubs such as Connaught Place are a problem, said Manpreet Singh, treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and owner of multiple restaurants, including Zen and Fujiya.
