Pune restaurants and eateries are rolling out special offers and discounts to encourage afternoon dine-ins as footfalls decline sharply during the intense heat conditions. Food establishments are witnessing a 20% to 25% drop in business during the afternoon hours.
Decline in Daytime Walk-ins
Day-time walk-ins have reduced significantly due to the persisting heat. A restaurant manager in Koregaon Park noted that footfall has decreased even on weekends, picking up only after 6 pm. Residents are opting for alternative dining options.
Anisha Chaudhary, a resident of Kondhwa, said, "We prefer to go for a movie and eat at a food court rather than visit a standalone cafe. Children are falling sick in the current summer conditions."
Restaurant Owners' Response
Narendra Thakur, who runs Narrative, told TOI: "We have seen a 25% to 40% reduction in customers during lunch hours. We are offering increased discounts along with complimentary desserts to maintain footfall."
Restaurants with outdoor seating have installed air-coolers, misting systems, and introduced a new menu of cooling drinks to help people beat the heat. Beverages like aam panna, cucumber coolers, and other lemon mocktails are in high demand.
Saili Jahagirdar, owner of Zillionth Bistro in Kothrud, said, "Lunchtime attendance has gone down significantly. There is some office crowd that does come in, but it is a big drop overall. All of us are giving online and offline offers to encourage orders."
Rise in Home Deliveries
Several restaurant owners reported that the share of deliveries has increased as people are unwilling to step out in the heat. Restaurants are seeing a 10% hike in home deliveries, with customers ordering less spicy and cold preparations.
Owners are also taking special efforts to keep food products fresh while avoiding spoilage. Ajinkya Udane, co-chapter head of the Pune Chapter of NRAI, explained, "In summers, the shelf life of food products reduces due to the heat. Therefore, we reduce procurement of raw vegetables and food products to avoid wastage and maintain food quality."
Customers are choosing to order from nearby and busy outlets to ensure food quality is not compromised during transit. Manoj Singh, a resident of Baner, said, "We choose to order from restaurants close by as the food gets spoiled in the heat if it comes from far away."
Ravi Purohit, a food delivery executive, noted, "Evening orders are the same, but afternoon orders have gone up by 10% to 15% on weekends."
