This story is from May 29, 2020

Hoteliers seek to reopen liquor shops in Gujarat

Hotels and Restaurants Association (HRA) – Gujarat, on Thursday, made a representation before chief minister Vijay Rupani seeking his permission to allow permit liquor stores to resume business
Hoteliers seek to reopen liquor shops in Gujarat
Representative image
AHMEDABAD: Hotels and Restaurants Association (HRA) – Gujarat, on Thursday, made a representation before chief minister Vijay Rupani seeking his permission to allow permit liquor stores to resume business. HRA representatives said that as permit liquor stores primarily cater to health permit holders, they be allowed to resume operations from June 1, when the lockdown 4.0 gets over.
“Already, sales and revenues had been dented due to high price of liquor and the lockdown has further affected business.
We have been getting calls from permit holders who regularly purchase liquor from our store, inquiring about the reopening. If they have a health permit, it means they require liquor for health reasons,” said a hotelier on condition of anonymity. Estimates by hoteliers suggest that roughly 85% sale of liquor at permit liquor stores comes from health permit holders,
The HRA has also demanded that the timing of the operations for restaurants must be allowed to be extended till 11pm. “The timing for takeaway restaurants which is currently 4pm must be extended till 11pm, otherwise restaurants cannot provide the services for dinner,” states the representation.
Industry sources revealed that the maximum number of orders for takeaways are placed during the evening, and restaurateurs are unable to receive them. Despite the easing of the lockdown, order books have taken a major hit for most restaurants who have resumed business through takeaways.
Industry players said that the order volumes have declined to less than 10%.
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