Kolkata: The last weekend before Christmas saw a surge in festive footfall across Kolkata’s restaurants and pubs, most of which remained packed on Friday and Saturday evenings. Attendance at most restaurants in central and south Kolkata swelled by 20%-30% as many of the establishments rolled out their festive menu and offers. The footfall rise prompted many to opt for a late closure on multiple nights between Dec 24 and Jan 1.
The surge is set to persist till the end of January, said Hotel and Restaurants Association of Eastern India president Sudesh Poddar.
“Schools and colleges have shut, so the family outings are on,” said Poddar, who owns Songhai, Manthan, and MS Bar & Lounge on Waterloo Street. All three will remain open till 1 am on Dec 24, 25, and 31. “This is the first time that we are opting for a late closure since we expect footfall to surpass that of the last few years,” added Poddar.
A lit-up Park Street has started attracting thousands to its restaurants. Most restaurants saw a near full-house on Friday and Saturday evenings, despite a light drizzle. Mocambo, Peter Cat, and Peter Hu? have seen a spurt since Dec 10, and it continues, said owner Nitin Kothari. “The waiting crowd is getting bigger each night, and we expect all footfall records to be smashed. We have hardly seen an empty table since last week. The mood was not upbeat during the pujas, but this winter has made up for that,” said Kothari. All three will remain open till 2 am on Dec 24, 25, 31, and Jan 1.
Bar-B-Q and Flavors of China have seen a surge since Dec 15. Across the road, One Step Up, too, has seen a gradual climb in attendance. “The crowd has been building up over the last week, but footfall is lower than usual during late evenings. Restaurants have to compete with multiple events during the festive period, so we often lose out on late visitors. We will remain open till 1 am on Dec 24, 25, and 31,” said Viraj Kothari of Bar-BQ and One Step Up.
Down the road, Oasis, too, has seen a spike in footfall over the last 10 days. “We have roast turkey, duck roast, and new kebabs on offer. The festive spirit has caught on,” said owner Pratap Daryanani.
MS Bar & Lounge has inaugurated its new open-air space to usher in the festive period with new kebab, prawn, and fish platters. “We have inaugurated our hookah bar and it’s attracting a big young crowd,” added Poddar.
At Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2, footfall started rising on Saturday night. “We expect this weekend to kickstart a spurt that will continue till New Year. We had a good late-night crowd across our outlets on Saturday,” said owner and co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury. “Footfall has increased by 15%. Like previous years, we have late licensing for Dec 24 and 31,” said Anjan Chatterjee, chairman and MD of Specialty Restaurants.
The surge is set to persist till the end of January, said Hotel and Restaurants Association of Eastern India president Sudesh Poddar.
“Schools and colleges have shut, so the family outings are on,” said Poddar, who owns Songhai, Manthan, and MS Bar & Lounge on Waterloo Street. All three will remain open till 1 am on Dec 24, 25, and 31. “This is the first time that we are opting for a late closure since we expect footfall to surpass that of the last few years,” added Poddar.
A lit-up Park Street has started attracting thousands to its restaurants. Most restaurants saw a near full-house on Friday and Saturday evenings, despite a light drizzle. Mocambo, Peter Cat, and Peter Hu? have seen a spurt since Dec 10, and it continues, said owner Nitin Kothari. “The waiting crowd is getting bigger each night, and we expect all footfall records to be smashed. We have hardly seen an empty table since last week. The mood was not upbeat during the pujas, but this winter has made up for that,” said Kothari. All three will remain open till 2 am on Dec 24, 25, 31, and Jan 1.
Bar-B-Q and Flavors of China have seen a surge since Dec 15. Across the road, One Step Up, too, has seen a gradual climb in attendance. “The crowd has been building up over the last week, but footfall is lower than usual during late evenings. Restaurants have to compete with multiple events during the festive period, so we often lose out on late visitors. We will remain open till 1 am on Dec 24, 25, and 31,” said Viraj Kothari of Bar-BQ and One Step Up.
Down the road, Oasis, too, has seen a spike in footfall over the last 10 days. “We have roast turkey, duck roast, and new kebabs on offer. The festive spirit has caught on,” said owner Pratap Daryanani.
MS Bar & Lounge has inaugurated its new open-air space to usher in the festive period with new kebab, prawn, and fish platters. “We have inaugurated our hookah bar and it’s attracting a big young crowd,” added Poddar.
At Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2, footfall started rising on Saturday night. “We expect this weekend to kickstart a spurt that will continue till New Year. We had a good late-night crowd across our outlets on Saturday,” said owner and co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury. “Footfall has increased by 15%. Like previous years, we have late licensing for Dec 24 and 31,” said Anjan Chatterjee, chairman and MD of Specialty Restaurants.
