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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Summer 2025 footfall at Kol restos and bars beats pre-pandemic high
1 2 Kolkata: Footfall across Kolkata restaurants is the highest this summer since the pandemic, with most eateries across south and central Kolkata seeing a full house during lunch and dinner. Online orders saw a major spike over the last fortnight. The rise in footfall was around 20% compared to last summer, according to Hotel and Restaurants' Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) president Sudesh Poddar. While the summer vacation is on, the weather, though warm, was better than last summer when the city was gripped by a heatwave. These factors may have contributed to a footfall spurt, felt Poddar. "While footfall rise every summer, this year it was around 20% more compared to last May-June. Unlike 2024, it rained more often this time, making it a comfortable to dine out. It also helped that the IPL playoffs were played till this week. It always attracts the young who love to couple cricket with eating out," said Poddar. Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2 have seen steady growth in footfall since the beginning of May. "It has been rising steadily, and it helped that we had our biryani festival on throughout last month. Summers are usually good for sales, but this year it was even better, possibly due to the improved weather. Despite the occasional scorching period, people have been gorging on biryani and other north Indian fare. At Chapter 2, sales have been moderately higher than last summer's as well," said Shiladitya Chaudhury, co-founder and owner of Oudh and Chapter 2. Park Street has seen a larger crowd during both lunch and dining hours since mid-May, said restaurateurs. Peter Hu has seen a waiting crowd every evening over the last month. "This has been the best summer since the pandemic, and the footfall was 15% higher. We've had people waiting to get in even on weekdays. One reason could be the weather, which has been more bearable than the last two summers. Secondly, along with the younger generation, the elders, too, are now more into eating out. Online orders, too, have increased," said Siddharth Kothari of Peter Hu. At Mocambo and Peter Cat, waiting crowds have gotten progressively bigger over the last fortnight. "We had full attendance throughout the day since the beginning of May. It has really been a good summer so far, easily the most crowded since the pandemic across all our outlets, including Peter Cat," said Mocambo and Peter Cat owner Nitin Kothari. "We had a near-full attendance even during weekdays since last Sunday. Food sales have jumped appreciably. Liquor sales have dipped since we have more families coming in now. But that has been more than made up by the higher footfall and larger food orders," said Pratap Daryanani, owner of Oasis on Park Street. Footfall has been driven by a bigger family crowd, said Poddar, who owns Songhai, MS Bar & Lounge, and Manthan.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Covid nudge behind Kolkata's recent al fresco dining boom
Kolkata: Open-air dining evolved into a trend, and al fresco dining became a go-to choice for parties in Kolkata, gaining popularity especially after the pandemic ushered in an era of social distancing. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Italian term 'al fresco' — meaning "in the fresh air" — found deep relevance with the citizens after the pandemic first altered the city's rhythm. That is when al fresco dining shifted from being a temporary fix to a defining lifestyle trend. Before the pandemic, the city barely had around 20 restaurants that offered outdoor seating. By the start of 2025, that number grew exponentially to around 500, according to industry estimates. For many restaurant owners, the shift was born out of necessity. Lockdowns and indoor capacity restrictions forced them to adapt creatively — opening up terraces, parking areas, and lawns to keep business afloat. "We had an open-air as well as closed dining area since we opened in 2017. But after the pandemic, people started preferring the open spaces, and soon customers started falling in love with the setup. Now, with the current confusion surrounding the operation of rooftop setups, we are awaiting more clarity from the govt, and we have temporarily suspended our outdoor operations," said the owner of a rooftop restobar in south Kolkata. Sudesh Poddar, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Associations of Eastern India, agreed. "The pandemic changed customer psychology. Many people still prefer outdoor seating for the added sense of space and ventilation. Al fresco dining, while not a new concept, has seen a tremendous resurgence in Kolkata," he said. Unlike garden patios or sidewalk cafes common in the West, Kolkata's al fresco spaces have largely taken to the skies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With limited horizontal space in a densely packed city, rooftops have emerged as the most viable alternative. Restaurants like Capella, WhatsUp Café, and Blue and Beyond were early adopters of this trend. "In Kolkata, the shift to alfresco dining happened organically. But the majority of us have both indoor and outdoor spaces as Kolkata weather is often not suitable for outdoor dining. Especially during summer and the rainy season, outdoor seating becomes difficult. But in winters, especially, we see a huge surge in customers who want to dine under the stars," said a senior official of Capella in Sector V. "Earlier, al fresco dining was mostly limited to weddings, parties, and clubs. But now, more people are opting for open spaces even for casual, daily dining and that shift has made dining more interactive," said Manzilat Fatima of popular outdoor dining option Manzilat's. "Post-Covid, there's a clear preference for open-air dining. Al fresco spaces offer a breath of fresh air. People seem to crave lighter, more soothing ambiences now." She added that with rooftops now banned due to recent incidents, they don't know how they will adapt. "It's not something that will sit well with business owners or customers. This shift will likely face resistance from both ends," Manzilat explained. Even during warmer months, some patrons make it work. Chandrani Mukherjee, a techie, said she loves visiting Roots near Rabindra Sadan even during summer. "There's something refreshing about being outdoors. We spend hours at home and in office in air-conditioned environments. The wind blowing and the sight of Victoria Memorial under the sky with not-so-loud music is my preference during a hangout with friends," said the Jadavpur resident. Modern al fresco restaurants are also a far cry from plastic chairs and basic setups. Today's open-air venues blend nature with design — think plush seating, ambient lighting, pergolas draped in bougainvillea, and vertical gardens which are curated for both comfort and Instagram appeal. "There's a definite cost involved," said the owner of another popular rooftop restobar in Sector V. "But the growing footfall justifies the investment. However, with the current confusion surrounding the govt diktat, we have been left clueless on what to do next."
