With the rising number of cases of coronavirus in India and across the globe, the restaurant and cafe industry is facing acute danger. As footfalls have started to decrease, restaurants fear major revenue loss which will also reflect in salary cuts for the staff and may also lead to job losses, a restaurant chain recently said. “When the restaurants close down, there is no revenue to be able to pay staff salaries etc… we don’t have buffer stocks to pay our staff… it is a grave situation for jobs,” AD Singh, founder and MD of Olive Bar and Kitchen, told ET Now on Wednesday. India’s restaurant body NRAI is also advising most restaurants to shut down for the time being, he added.
In India, several states have started to close down public spaces to contain the spread of the virus and there are speculations that restaurants will also be shut down across the country. Meanwhile, Hyderabad has already closed eateries. Various state governments have also asked shopping malls, gyms, movie theaters to remain closed at the time of uncertainty.
However, quick serve restaurants and online delivery aggregators have also found ways to fight the coronavirus and have ramped up safety features for customers. While Swiggy and Zomato are now offering contactless delivery, QSR chains McDonald’s and Domino’s have also implemented the same to ensure that there is minimum contact between the delivery partner and the customer. They have also equipped their delivery partners with sanitisers and have asked them to frequently change the delivery bags to maintain hygiene, according to their statements.
Meanwhile, India now has at least 147 reported cases of coronavirus with at least three deaths. The global death toll has crossed 7,500 and about 200,000 people have been infected with coronavirus. China continues to lead the pack with the most number of cases, followed by Italy and Iran.