Kolkata bars witnessed a massive rush of tipplers on Friday, as patrons sought respite after a four-day dry period imposed due to elections. Sales surged threefold at many restaurants, with some establishments running out of stock by late evening. Another dry period commences from 6 pm on Saturday and continues until April 29.
Footfall Soars at Popular Venues
At Songhai-Manthan in central Kolkata, occupancy slumped to 25% earlier this week but rebounded sharply on Friday. By early evening, the adjoining MS Bar & Lounge was fully occupied. Sudesh Poddar, owner of both venues and president of the Hotel and Restaurants Association of Eastern India (HRAEI), said, "We had a waiting crowd. This is the peak summer season, and we have had a big crowd since lunch. Beer sales reached an unprecedented high in the afternoon, while all other liquors were frequently ordered. We sent WhatsApp messages informing patrons that the bar would reopen for a day-and-a-half from Friday. We had offers on alcohol. The footfall surge also led to a threefold rise in food sales."
Park Street Springs Back to Life
The small window in the middle of the long dry stretch saw Kolkata's party street come alive. Park Street restaurants reported waiting queues. One Step Up saw a bigger lunch crowd than the previous three days, with footfall rising sharply in the evening. Viraj Kothari of One Step Up said, "The last two days were exceptionally dull in terms of footfall and sales. Both went up significantly on Friday. We had several tables booked in advance for dinner. Liquor sales were good." Across the road, Oasis also saw a reasonable turnout. Owner Pratap Daryanani added, "While lunch was better, we had a good evening crowd after four days. Food sales were driven by the return of liquor, albeit for a day. It helped that the IPL evening match was a good one, so we had youngsters dropping in for dinner and drinks."
South Kolkata Bars Reopen
Several south Kolkata bars, like Tripty's in Bhowanipore, which had shut during the four-day prohibition, reopened to a huge turnout. Bars across Sector V also did brisk business. Of the 40-odd bar-cum-restaurants in the IT hub, around 20-25 had been shut since Monday. Pranab Mukherjee, manager of Barcode in Sector V, said, "We got the crowd back and hope to make up for some of the losses." Barcode had remained closed since April 20.
Goan Food Festival Sees Boost
Chapter 2 in south Kolkata also experienced a footfall surge. The restaurant, hosting a Goan food festival, had seen a sales slump since Monday. Owner and co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury explained, "Since Goan food goes well with liquor, the alcohol prohibition affected us. But footfall spiked exceptionally on Friday. People seemed to be out to make the most of this window. We had a packed house from afternoon till late evening. Unfortunately, the momentum is going to be broken again on Saturday as liquor prohibition returns."
Overall, the brief respite from the dry spell provided a much-needed boost to Kolkata's hospitality sector, though the upcoming dry period is expected to impact business again.
