A packed restaurant during Durga Puja on Park Street
Kolkata: Restaurants and pubs or bars in the city recorded their strongest Durga Puja business in years, with sales rising 25% to 40%, well above the 10% to 15% annual growth seen in the past seven to eight years. Desi Lane owner Manish Sharma said his outlets saw a 40% jump in sales, the highest in 11 years. HRAEI president Sudesh Poddar, who owns Manthan, Songhai and MS Bar & Lounge, said his restaurants witnessed a 20% rise in turnover. Nitin Kothari, owner of Peter Cat, Peter Hu and Mocambo, said turnover increased to 25% to 30%. Oudh 1590, Chapter 2 and Chaudhury & Co also saw heavy crowds, said co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury.
Sharma, also NRAI secretary, said most member restaurants reported similar growth and surge in footfall. Peter Hu also reported record attendance, said its owner, Siddharth Kothari. Trincas, Kwality and other Park Street eateries also reported higher-than-usual Puja sales. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest Kolkata news.
Industry representatives from the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) said footfall and revenue could have been higher had Ashtami not been a dry day. “There has been bumper Durga Puja sales with increase in the footfall of youngsters, who may have avoided pandals following the stampede,” he said. “At Peter Cat, the waiting crowd was more than last year,” he said. “This puja had an extra day so it was a bonus for us,” said the group’s CMD, Anjan Chatterjee. “Footfall was more than recent years,” added Tanvi Ghai of Kwality.
Poddar added that restaurants away from puja zones also benefited from state-sponsored decorations, especially on the Red Road. Park Street restaurants saw exceptional demand. Speciality Restaurants outlets saw a ‘significant’ rise in footfall. Download the TOI App.