-SATISH HANDA
Hotel and restaurants remained closed during lock-down in the state
due to epidemic outbreak have been worst affected and failed to
attract customers in-spite of the fact permission has been granted to
open during unlock-1 period in the state. The Financial World
correspondent had a survey in this regard at twin city Ambala having
over 150 hotels as well as more than 300 eating places including
restaurant and dhaba attracting large number of visitors due to
residents of the town have high taste for foods, besides large number
of visitors in the town known for industry, biggest cantonment and air
force station in North, busy railway junction at the meeting point of
several states, inter-state bus terminal and national highways. The
owners of hotels and restaurants told that they had high hopes to have
crowd of customers remained house-arrested for a long time due to lock
down, which brought no relief to them in-spite of unlock declared by
the government and hotel and restaurant business has witnessed between
80-90% decline and they remain waiting for visiting customers
throughout the day.
There are more than 20 hotels adjoining inter-state bus terminal
Ambala Cantt. The owners of these hotels told that they are not
getting customers due to extremely poor passengers travelling in buses
or trains as such it is most uneconomical for them to open the hotels
under such condition and meet overhead expenses. Moreover, large
number of hotel staff hailing from other states has left for their
native places during lock down period. They told that interference of
health as well as police department for the search of corona positive
cases. Some of hotel owners told that at times they are not getting
even a single customer in a day and entire hotel staff has to sit
idle.
This correspondent also visited over a dozen restaurants and dhaba at
Ambala Cantt  including famous Sharma Bhojnalaya, Sitaram Dhaba,
Deluxe Dhaba, Pooran Singh Da Dhaba and Food Court, the owners of most
of the restaurants were seen worried over having no visitors and
nearly 80-90% of these were found empty without a single customer.
They told, initially they were getting on-line orders for food,
gradually that too reduced due to fast increasing cases of corona
positive cases in the town since past 10-12 days after lock down
lifted. In most of the places there was hardly 20-25% occupancy even
during peak hours and some of those told that they are waiting for
customers since morning. Rajesh Sharma owner of Sharma Bhojnalya on
Nicholson Road, they are getting less customers due to timings as
customers do not visit in day time due to severe heat and demanded
that restaurants should be allowed to remain open till 11 PM instead
of 8 PM as allowed by the administration at present. Rakesh Sharma
owner of owner of Sitaram Dhaba in Sadar area disclosed that they used
to remain full during breakfast, lunch and dinner time and open till
late night still unable to provide table to large number of customers
but now getting only 15 to 20% customers unable to meet expenses..