This story is from June 6, 2020

Jaipur: Malls, restaurants eager to reopen, build confidence among customers

Jaipur: Malls, restaurants eager to reopen, build confidence among customers
Picture for representational purpose only.
JAIPUR: For mall and restaurant owners, the wait to reopen is turning out to be tiring.
After the Centre’s decision, malls have undertaken flurry of activities, including cleaning, re-routing visitor flow, training staff and putting in place safety and hygiene precautions to be followed. Similarly, restaurants chalked out their SOPs although they are still a bit cagey about reopening.
But all eyes are on the state government’s decision if they would be allowed to restart from June 8.
To be back in the business would require a lot of time, but what is important for them is to start now. Mall owners in Jaipur said there is no place which is protected from the virus and they also have to live with it.
“Over the past few days, around 250 people have been working on innovative models to make the mall safe for visitors. Besides training staff, putting in place SOPs and a host of other protocols, there will a doctor in the mall as well. The social distancing SOPs also include having one person in a 100sqft area. We are waiting for the government go ahead,” said Anup Bartriya, promoter of World Trade Park.
He said the most important part is winning confidence of people and the process will take time, but for that the malls need to open. “The immediate plan is to create confidence. Business will take time. If we don’t open, that process of confidence building will not start. Even though the cost of running the mall without business would be a huge burden, we have no other way,” added Bartariya.
Similar is the sentiment among managers and operators of the malls in the city. They said the outlets in their malls have been suffering on multiple fronts. But only solution before them is to open first and then face the problems.

“All the outlets are impatient to reopen and they are waiting for the state government orders. Only after reopening we will know if people are confident or not. But our feeling is that people will come out and there is a pent up demand that cannot be postponed indefinitely. So we are hopeful even in terms of transactions,” said Anil Yadav, general manager of MGF Metropolitan mall.
However, some restaurants are a little edgy despite they feel that they have to start because they need to pay their remaining staff even though 70% of the workforce have left for their homes.
“We have a 70-year history and enjoy a huge reputation in the city. We do not want to take any risk. The waiting has a cost but we will bear it. When we feel safe, we will open the restaurant. But we want the government to help us in paying salary to our staff. That will go a long way,” said Hamit Pardal, whose family runs one of the oldest restaurants in the city.
Many have started takeaway services. But the volume is miniscule. While reopening remains the only solution, they said that would not be easy.
Aziz Panwar, the owner of a new-age restaurant, said, “The takeaway services are not even 5% of our business. We are eager to open but unless we have enough visitors, the whole operation will be unsustainable. Because, there will be fixed costs irrespective of the number of people coming to the restaurant that includes electricity charges, staff salaries, etc.”
Sources said the government is mulling to allow the malls and restaurants before the end of the month, but all will depend on the intensity of the Covid pandemic in the city.
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