Kolkata's hospitality sector faced a major disruption during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections after a 96-hour alcohol ban was imposed by the state Excise department. Acting on reports of unusual liquor sales during the Model Code of Conduct, the restriction went beyond the Election Commission of India’s usual 48-hour dry-day norm. A dry day was also observed on May 4 for the election results. We spoke to pubs and restaurants across Kolkata to assess the financial impact.
Early Closures Decimate Peak Hours
For late-night hotspots, the midnight closure was particularly damaging. Ashish Mondal from UG Underground said, “Because of the dry day on May 4, we had to close by midnight – a sharp contrast to our usual 3.45am limit.” He added, “We had to cut off the guest DJ and also compromise on the peak crowd, which typically arrives after midnight.” Meanwhile, Anubrata Mukherjee, GM at 5MM, said, “We were inundated with calls from patrons each of the days, but couldn’t accommodate their requests.”
Revenues Plummet at Smaller Venues
For some pubs, revenues were nearly wiped out. Swastik Chattopadhyaya from ATM Bar and Kitchen noted, “We have a small space, hence our typical ₹1.5–2 lakh turnover shrank to ₹20,000–30,000 over the last two weekends.” He added, “Because our business is mostly alcohol-based, we had no choice but to postpone events, even after paying advances.” Even with cost-cutting measures, losses were significant. “This should have been a peak period, with election-driven footfall from other cities, but revenues fell sharply,” said Ashish Mondal.
Liquor Ban Triggers Heavy Losses
For venues heavily reliant on alcohol sales, the impact was immediate and severe. Subhobrata Majumdar, beverage manager at Olterra, which operates on a 60:40 alcohol-to-food ratio, said, “We have our own brewery, so alcohol sales are usually higher than food. But our usual ₹5–6 lakh sales dropped to around ₹2 lakh over the weeks.” He added that the grim atmosphere kept crowds away. Losses were steeper for nightclubs, where liquor drives sales. Joydeb Paul, bar manager, Phoenix Bar/Club, said, “There has been a loss of over ₹30 lakh for the bar alone. We also have a hotel, that amounted to a total loss of approximately ₹50 lakh.” He added, “Normally, dry days last for a day or so, but this time they stretched over a longer period,” creating major operational challenges.
