When two techies on a two-wheeler were killed in an accident by a minor, driving a sports car, Pune saw a city-wide crackdown on restaurants, pubs, and cafes. The accused teen is said to have consumed liquor at two bars along with his friends before the incident. While the bar in question was sealed for serving alcohol to minors, there has also been strict action against ‘illegal construction’ and serving of alcohol outside permitted areas.
According to a law made in the 1960s, there is a defined area within the premises where one is allowed to sell liquor. This is as per the drawing that has been submitted to the excise office when the restaurant is being built and that’s how restaurants get licenses.
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While Pune has always been popular for its open-air, outdoor cafes, restaurants, pubs, and breweries. At the moment, restaurants are not allowed to serve liquor in the outdoor area. The permit rooms are small and can hardly accommodate enough diners. Drinking outside has also become quite difficult. For example, if a family wants to dine together but the adults want to have a drink, they have to leave their kids at another table, drink, and then go back to that table.
This has led to fewer people heading out for a drink and also impacted revenues and had them drop by about 60% to 100% depending on how much outdoor area a bar has. Post the losses suffered in the years that the world suffered from COVID-19, this seems to be another severe blow for restauranteurs and bar owners, many of whom have taken to social media platforms to request patrons to dine with them.
Walking The Talk
A month ago Ilvika Chandawarkar, the owner of one of Pune’s oldest and most popular eatery, Malaka Spice shared a post on her social media, about the state of the Pune F&B establishments, urging city folks to go out and grab a meal at their favourite restaurant, drop in to say hello and check how they’re doing and show support.
“When the Porsche accident happened, of course, the authorities had to take action, which they did. However, since then many restaurants and bars are suffering because they still have salaries and rent to pay while they struggle to survive. Many people have stopped going out for a drink or meal because the experience has become inconvenient.
At a time like this if you go out and have even a cup of coffee at your favourite restaurant or bar it goes a long way in helping people who work within the industry,” Ilvika explains.
“We have been reading about what's happening in Pune and how the restaurants and bars have suddenly come under the hammer. I read Ilvika’s post about how the mood is really glum and people don't know what's going to happen and whether their restaurant will survive or if will they be forced to shut. There were a lot of questions. That kind of made me reach out to her and say, let's do something more concrete and planned around it. So we talked and we met a couple of times to get started and talk to other restaurants. We also spoke to the National Restaurant Association of India, NRAI and they were happy to help,” says Jyoti Kumari a writer who has partnered with Ilvika to organise the restaurant crawl.
What Happens At The Restaurant Crawl
While many of these places are popular for their cocktails and drinks, they also serve great food. The idea is to introduce diners to their exciting menus as well. Diners who sign up for the walk will visit 5 restaurants in Koregaon Park including Malaka Spice, Swig, Qora, Sassy Spoon, and Daily. Each restaurant will serve one course and showcase its specialty. At each place, foodies can interact with the restaurateurs and chefs who share stories about the dishes and the place.
“Since it's the first one and the rains are really heavy, we wanted to keep the area limited so that if you're walking from one place to the other, it doesn't take too long and if the weather gets crazy, you can spend a little extra time at one restaurant,” says Jyoti. We were clear that we were not going to do just a special pop-up at one restaurant. We wanted five to six restaurants so that they could also talk about each other. It's a sense of community that we are also trying to build. The restaurants also need to feel like they matter to people,” she explains.
What’s On The Menu
“The industry has responded very, very well to the walk. And I think everyone has been very enthusiastic because sales have been very low for restaurants. The restaurants we’ve chosen have suffered due to the lack of business but they are not the only ones who have been affected,” says Ilvika. “Someone who signs up for the walk can expect a really good meal. It's a five-course meal across five restaurants. It's a preset meal and there’s something for everyone,” she adds.
From Nori Tempura and Kerala Fried Chicken from Swig to Shroom Baos and Aunty Farazana's Fish tikka from Qora, Home-made Tomatoes and Olive Ravioli and Moroccan Chicken from Daily and Baked Salted Caramel Cheesecake from Sassy Spoon, the menu seems promising.
The Road Ahead
The walk which will be held on 31st July from 7 pm to 9.30 pm is going to be the first edition and there is more in the pipeline. “We've planned, one more for Koregaon Park at the moment since there are so many restaurants here. We have also planned walks in Kalyani Nagar and hope to cover other areas too,” Ilvika shares.
Jyoti also asserts that she hopes that this doesn’t just become something they are organising but ends up encouraging other people to show support in their own way. “Eventually we just want everybody to do their bit. You can go out with your friends to three restaurants in the evening or you can maybe urge your office team lunch to happen at a place where you feel maybe the business has not been too good. Just go, go out to different places and show your support to restaurants, cafes, and eateries, big or small that could do with some cheering.”
The walk is priced at Rs 2000 per head including taxes and one can register here to sign up.