Outlets like The Rameshwaram Cafe plan to extend operational hours by one hour should the rule come into effect.
DH PHOTO/B K JANARDHAN
Restaurant owners are urging the police to take note of a government order allowing them to do business round the clock on all days of the week.
In a fresh notification dated September 27, the Karnataka government allowed shops and commercial establishments with more than 10 employees to stay open 24/7. Restaurants are currently allowed to stay open till 1 am.
P C Rao, president, Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA), said the Bengaluru police are reluctant to give their consent for extended hours. He said the association had emailed the order to the police.
“We will be meeting the commissioner at some point this week to discuss the matter,” he told Metrolife.
Police chief says
B Dayananada, Bengaluru city police commissioner, said: “This is a policy decision and should be taken by the government. The police have nothing
to do with it.”
The association has requested the home ministry and the police to give them the relevant permissions. “We will wait for them to respond. If the response is not positive, we will take the legal route,” Rao said.
Around 400 restaurants are affiliated with the association, but not all of them plan to stay open 24/7, Rao explained. “We are seeking a blanket permission. It is up to individual restaurant owners whether they want to keep their establishment open longer or not,” he said.
Transport hubs key
Transportation hubs, like KSRTC bus stands, railway stations, and the airport, are spots where there is a need for restaurants to stay open throughout the day, explained Diwakar Rao, owner of Airlines Hotel, located on State Bank of India Road in the bustling M G Road area.
While he does not plan to do business 24/7, he said the permissions are necessary. “I completely support the BBHA’s request, but it may not benefit everyone. Some self-service restaurants in the area are open late into the night, but they have no clientele after 9 pm on weekdays,” he said.
Divya S, owner, The Rameshwaram Cafe, also hopes the police will grant 24/7 permission. “We need time to deep clean our restaurants daily. We will increase operational hours only by one hour,” she told Metrolife. Her chain has five outlets across the city, open from 6 am to 1 am daily.
NOT FOR PUBS AND BARS
The 24/7 permission applies only to restaurants that do not serve alcohol, said Chethan Hegde, chapter head, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) Bengaluru, explaining why the bars and pubs aren’t impacted by the latest order.
Hegde, whose properties have alcohol on the menu, says 24/7
service is not a viable option for businesses like his. “We will require
three shifts daily. But the footfall we get will not justify the costs,” he said.
The association is instead hoping the government will agree to allow two extended hours on the weekends, he said