Restaurants may take a longer time to resume full-fledged operations

They are awaiting return of in-house chefs and staff who left for their native places

A customer taking her parcel from a takeaway counter at Hotel Daspalla in Visakhapatnam.

In the fourth phase of lockdown to be in force till May 31, the Central government has allowed the restaurants to resume activity. But the relaxation has come with a rider – only takeaways and home delivery of food are allowed.

In spite of the reprieve, a number of restaurants in the city are yet to open shop for a variety of reasons, primary among them is non-availability of chefs and staff.

As there has been no relaxation for the restaurants in the earlier two phases of the lockdown, which is clamped to contain the spread of COVID-19, a number of chefs and staff who are native of other districts and States have left.

Managements of a few restaurants, therefore, have asked their chefs and staff members to return in the light of the latest development.

“We have four chefs hailing from Vijayawada, Rajamahendravaram and Visakhapatnam. Three of them have left. We cannot offer food delivery services properly with one chef,” says owner of a restaurant at Seethammadhara.

Prices hiked

In an attempt to cash in on the situation and make up for the loss incurred, a few restaurants have jacked up the prices of food items. A few others have just biryani and curries on their menus.

However, restaurants that have managed to retain their chefs and staff are back to business.

“We have five chefs. We have provided them accommodation. They are handling the kitchen efficiently. One person is taking care of home delivery orders,” says Kalyan Kumar of Upland Bistro at Waltair Uplands.

“We have started accepting home delivery orders, besides catering to the takeaways due to availability of chefs. Customers are ordering all the delicacies they have missed so far,” says N. Prasanth of Brew and Bistro at MVP Colony.

Cautious approach

The Daspalla group of hotels is catering only to the takeaways and not encouraging home delivery by online food delivery giants.

“We feel safe when a customer comes to the hotel and takes away the parcel. In the present circumstances, a customer may not prefer to get the food delivered at his doorstep as the delivery personnel may go to several places to fulfil the orders,” says the hotel’s Manager, Food & Beverages, Koti.

Coffee shops and restaurants that offer dining on their premises have not opened. Several curry points, vegetarian hotels, and bakeries are, however, teeming with foodies. A number of street vendors too have started functioning.