Kolkata's Restaurant Industry Sees Relief as LPG Supply Resumes
Restaurateurs in Kolkata are finally breathing a sigh of relief as the commercial LPG crisis that threatened to cripple the food and beverage sector has eased somewhat. With limited supply of around 30% now available across city restaurants, many establishments are reintroducing dishes that had been taken off menus and relaxing operation hours that were drastically reduced.
Menu Items Make a Comeback
Sudesh Poddar, owner of Manthan and Songhai restaurants and president of the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India, confirmed that mutton dishes requiring longer cooking times have returned to his menus starting Tuesday. "We had removed mutton from our offerings a week ago to conserve fuel," Poddar explained. "Now we're planning to restart sizzlers that were previously discontinued. This limited LPG supply has brought much-needed relief to everyone in the industry."
At 6 Ballygunge Place, tandoor and hot plate specialties like parathas, postor bora, and gandharaj bhetki grill have returned to the menu. Savourites Hospitality director Sushanta Sengupta noted, "We had streamlined our menu significantly during the crisis. Those restrictions have now been lifted, though our buffet service remains suspended until LPG supply normalizes completely."
Electric Transition Continues Alongside LPG Resumption
While the return of LPG supply provides crucial support, many restaurants continue to rely heavily on electric cooking methods adopted during the crisis. Nitin Kothari, who operates popular establishments Mocambo and Peter Cat, emphasized that the resumption offers particular comfort for Peter Cat, where complete transition to electric posed challenges due to load issues.
"We maintained our full menu but adopted electric cooking extensively," Kothari said. "Now we're continuing with electricity while supplementing with LPG. As supply improves, we'll gain more flexibility in our operations."
Rajiv Kothari of Bar B Q and One Step Up expressed similar relief, noting, "While we've shifted to electric cooking, having LPG burners available in the kitchen again is definitely welcome."
Sagar Daryani of Oasis reported doing approximately 75% of dishes electrically but acknowledged certain specialties like Chicken a la Kiev work best in LPG ovens. "Previously, we only prepared that dish for multiple orders. Now we can offer it more regularly," he explained.
Black Market Prices and Catering Challenges Persist
Despite the improved supply situation, significant challenges remain. The demand-supply gap has fueled nearly a threefold increase in commercial LPG cylinder prices on the black market, with some restaurateurs reporting paying as much as Rs 8,500 for cylinders that officially retail around Rs 2,000.
Apeksha Lahiri of The Yellow Turtle shared her experience: "I've stopped taking orders because it doesn't make business sense at those inflated prices. I paid an astronomical amount for a single cylinder and simply can't sustain that."
Catering operations continue to face particular difficulties. Sagar Daryani, who also serves as president of the National Restaurant Association of India, noted that while all Kolkata restaurants remain operational, making commitments for large orders remains challenging. 6 Ballygunge Place has adopted a similarly cautious approach, avoiding large catering orders until commercial LPG cylinder delivery normalizes completely.
The industry remains cautiously optimistic as it navigates this partial recovery, balancing electric cooking adaptations with gradually returning LPG supplies while contending with persistent black market pricing issues.
