The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on Friday said it has launched ‘Rise For Restaurants’, a programme to support its member restaurants and their employees. Under the programme, diners can purchase virtual cash worth Rs 1,000 at a discount of 25% from restaurants across the country. These can be redeemed against dining bills at the respective restaurants.
At the time of purchase, customers will only have to pay Rs 250. The remaining Rs 500 is to be paid only when they dine at the restaurant. This amount will be used to pay the wages and salaries of restaurant employees, the NRAI said in a statement. “The NRAI has developed this entirely keeping in mind the current plight of its members and their employees,” said Gauri Devidayal, NRAI managing committee member and partner, Food Matters India.
The virtual cash can be used within six months from the purchase date, with limitless purchases and no minimum expenditure amount, blackout dates or redemption conditions. Restaurants like Barbeque Nation, Café Delhi Heights, Farzi Café, Mamagoto and Monkey Bar, among others, are already live on the program.
“As an industry, our business model is such that the proportion of fixed operating expenses is very high, which is a very high-risk model. Now, with the prospect of zero revenues staring at us for a substantial period of time, our fight is now a battle to retain our mere existence as commercial entities that provide jobs to millions,” the NRAI said.
The NRAI represents the interests of 6 lakh restaurants across India. The restaurant industry, with an annual turnover of nearly Rs 4 lakh crore, provides direct employment to over 7 million people.