Restaurants and bars in Thamel and Jhamshikhel have started providing a service to drop their clients home if their bill crosses a ´certain specified limit´, to keep the tables full. [break]
“That certain specified limit in our case is Rs 5,000. If the customers´ bill crosses that threshold, we drop them home,” said Tara Ratna Sthapit, owner of Chapter 9 and coordinator of Jhamshikhel-Pulchowk Restaurant Operators Committee.
In the Jhamshikhel and Pulchowk area, the drop-off facility has been launched by almost all restaurants, including Chapter 9, Restro Bar, 8 Degrees and Tamarind.
In Thamel, however, only a few restaurants have launched similar services. Many more, nonetheless, said they are planning to do so soon.
“We are considering a drop-off service for customers as there is no sign of business picking up and we have to rely on evening sales alone,” said Prakash Pandey, managing director of Thamel-based J-Bar.
The restaurateurs have come up with the new scheme mainly as strict enforcement of the anti drink-driving campaign has driven away customers during evening and night -- the main business hours.
Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN), the apex body of the sub-sector, says sales during prime time have gone down by almost 50 percent since the anti drink-driving campaign was launched.
Majority of restaurant owners at present find customers during daytime only. Still worse for them, the shortage of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking has rendered them unable to serve even this limited clientele. According to Reban, more than 125 restaurants in the Valley have closed down operations temporarily because of the campaign and the fuel crisis.
“So far, we have negotiated with taxi drivers on behalf of our customers for the drop-offs. But now we are launching it as a campaign,” Sthapit said, adding that the facility has helped him regain business marginally for now as many customers are still unaware of it.
Once the campaign takes full shape -- a number of restaurateurs are planning to hire a fleet of vehicles for the purpose, Sthapit says business will be back to normal.
This will add costs, but the operators said regaining lost customers was their primary focus now. “Our main concern is how to bring business back to normal. If that is attained, the turnover will enable us to manage the added cost,” said Tejendra Nath Shrestha, president of Reban.
The restaurateurs chose the new step mainly as their request to the government to set a limit on drink and allow driving by people drinking within that limit fell on deaf ears.
Traffic police, who arrest and slaps penalties of Rs 1,000 on drivers and bikers violating the rule, have refused to show any relaxation.
According to an estimate, some 70 percent of the total liquor sold in the market is consumed through direct purchase from retail outlets, while 30 percent is used in restaurants and bars.
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