The next time you’re able to walk into a bar in Bengaluru, things might look a bit different. You may not be greeted by a host at the entrance, or be handed a paper menu once you sit down. The stools at the bar, where people often crowd together to order a drink, may disappear. There will be far fewer people, and no more groups clustered together. If you walk in at 10 pm, you’ll be seated at a different section from the person who arrived at 7 pm to prevent cross-contamination through tables and chairs. You will almost certainly have to make a reservation. And of course, there will be hand sanitiser on the table.
These are some of the changes that bar and pub owners are considering once they’re allowed to reopen after the lockdown is lifted. Bars across the country have been shuttered for over a month, following a national lockdown announced by the Centre on March 24. Though India’s third lockdown stage, which has seen some ease in restrictions, is scheduled to end on May 17, it remains to be seen whether bars and pubs will be allowed to open their doors.
Around the world, eateries and pubs have taken a massive hit as the coronavirus pandemic has killed businesses that rely on social interaction. The Karnataka government announced on Friday that it was considering allowing certain bars and restaurants to sell alcohol at the maximum retail price amidst a deep economic downturn worsened by the lockdown. Liquor remains one of the highest revenue generators for the government, and after shops were allowed to open on Monday, the state has reported hundreds of crores in sales this week alone.
“It’s going to be very uncertain for the next few months,” said Sibi Venkataraju, a director at pH4 Food & Beverages, which runs Bengaluru pubs, Toit and Permit Room. “The whole restaurant industry will have to collaborate.”
Just as restaurants are mulling over small and big changes to create a safe environment for customers amidst the pandemic, bars and pubs are also looking to implement shifts in their daily operation, such as frequent sanitisation, contactless dining, impeccable hygiene standards and a reliance on technology to reduce human-to-human interaction.
However, maintaining crowds at pubs poses its own set of challenges as customers don’t remain seated all the time and unlike a sit-down restaurant, there isn’t already a physical space demarcated for them.
Sibi notes they will have to reevaluate everything from the valet system and front desk to billing, menu distribution and service to eliminate as many touch points as possible. However, it remains to be seen under what circumstances these businesses will be allowed to open. “We’re not sure what the evolving rules are going to be,” he said. “There’s no template unfortunately.”
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued guidelines regarding the sanitation of service and kitchen areas, personal hygiene and protective gear for food handlers (like masks and gloves), social distancing, temperature checks, and more. Once they’re allowed to open, there may be further specific instructions for restaurant and bar operations, which may include a reduction in seat capacity.
Amit Roy, a founding partner at Shilton Hospitality, which runs Watson’s, a pub chain with locations in Bengaluru and Chennai, says it will be entirely up to the eatery to ensure that those guidelines are strictly followed, even if customers oppose them.
“Control is going to be a very, very important measure here,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, that’s our responsibility. We can’t blame it on the customer for violating any rules.”
Staff training to ensure hygiene and food safety will be critical as well, said Pravesh Pandey, director of operations at Byg Brewski, which has locations in Hennur and Sarjapur, as well as Bob’s Bar, which has multiple locations in the city. They are also considering investing in COVID-19 tests so staff members can be regularly tested and surfaces can be examined for traces of contamination.
Many eateries, including Byg Brewski, are working to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure that every part of the customer’s experience is considered in a post-lockdown situation.
“Every particular touchpoint of the customer, right from entry to exit, will be part of the SOP,” he said.
According to Pravesh, others measures they are planning to implement include removing stools from the main bar, relying on larger, non-air conditioned spaces (such as the location in Hennur) to encourage physical distancing and creating sections and time slots, “so there is no chance that somebody can reuse the same table and chairs.”
Byg Brewski’s nightclub Gylt will also remain closed for about a year or so. “Forget the days where on Saturdays you would see a long queue of people,” he said. “The nightclub model will not sustain.”
Even if major restrictions of the lockdown are lifted entirely, it’s likely that cities around the world will be maintaining physical and social distancing norms for the foreseeable future. So when do bar owners expect people to start dining out again?
“There are two lines of thought here. One is that people are going to be scared and not step out, and business is going to take a huge hit. Or like what happened with wine stores, which opened on Monday, people will throng outside for the first couple of days, just to get out,” Amit said.
Pub-hopping and walk-ins are also expected to take a backseat, as more and more people will rely on reservation systems so they aren’t waiting around. “People do want to have a good time. But they will be careful in choosing their restaurants. They will come out to places that are more spacious, to bring their families and friends. They will take extremely high precautionary measures while stepping out,” Pravesh said.
Pravesh also believes that it’s important for the customer to see that the eatery is taking all precautions possible to ensure health safety, and that will help placate them. “I think it’s important to amplify what you’re doing to build that trust.”
If you’re having a hard time imagining a bar that isn’t packed on a Friday night, not having to jostle through crowds for a drink, or even avoiding plans with large groups, bar owners can understand the quandary.
“It’s actually a Catch-22. At a bar, you want to socialise, but how do I tell you not to socialise?” Amit says. “If you’re heading to a bar, you don’t want to sit in a corner all by yourself. You’d rather drink at home then.”
However, as many have had to adapt to a new way of life during the pandemic, rules around bars will eventually become habitual as well.
”Initially you are going to oppose it or you are going to miss the feeling,” Amit said, “But it’s a paradigm shift. And over time people are just going to start accepting it. It’s a new way of stepping out.”