All these restaurants are coming up around the lakeside, which is hub of foreign tourists.[break]
According to owners of the new restaurants they are investing from Rs 5 million to Rs 15 million for a restaurant and they are making the investments in the hope that the tourism business will bounce back in near future. The new restaurants are planning to target local clients as well as foreign tourists.
Pokhara Chapter of Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) said more than 95 percent of member hotels are located in the lakeside. Out of around 150 restaurants in Pokhara, more than 50 percent are under REBAN.
REBAN President for Pokhara Chapter Balaram Pahari who also owns Fewa Park Restaurant said, "Although overall arrival of tourist is showing a positive trend, there is not much impact of it on the business."
Restaurant owners also believe that big investments may help retain foreign tourists who are lately using Pokhara as a transit point rather a tourist destination in itself.
Baibhav Paudel, executive director of the recently-opened multi-cuisine restaurant Byanjan, is investing over Rs 20 million to set up the restaurant. Paudel has spent almost a decade in the tourism sector in the United States. The restaurant offers a large space offering up to 100 pax. "We offer incredible taste of homemade pasta and pickles which can´t be found at other restaurants," Paudel told Republica. He added the combination of good food, good service and good ambiance is another unique with the restaurant.
Linhuna, Salt and Pepper, Bistro Caroline, Nepali Chulo are the names of recently opened high-end restaurants in the lake city while Clay Oven and almost half a dozen more restaurants are preparing to start operations shortly. Although the number of restaurants are growing, the food that these outlets offer varies from one another.
Salt and Pepper is offering a wide range of cuisine and Bistro Caroline is offering French delicacy. Tourism entrepreneurs are focusing on Nepali delicacies too. Nepali Chulo, which focuses specially on traditional Nepali food, has also started operations.
Rockey Tulachan, owner and General Manager of the restaurant, said that the initial investment in the restaurant is above Rs 5 million. "Nepali food is available in other restaurants too but we focus on traditional ways of serving the guests, with focus on Thakali cuisine.
Restaurant owners opine that although there is a tough competition in the restaurant business, offering uniqueness in terms of interiors and food is essential for good business.
"We plan to open a wine bar in near future. This will be the first wine bar of Pokhara that will offer a wide range of wines," Paudel said, stressing on the unique feature of the restaurant.
President Pahari says opening a restaurant in lakeside is a big-investment proposition as finding space within one´s budget is a real challenge. "The restaurant business is competitive as there are already high-end restaurants serving customers a wide range of delicacies from local to continental," he added, saying that most of the newly-established restaurants were investing in the range of Rs 10 million.
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