'Don't have enough people': Chennai restaurant owners look at uncertain future as employees return back home

Updated Jun 02, 2020 | 17:10 IST

Meanwhile, the food business in Bengaluru has also been disrupted in the process and the industry sources have hinted at no new openings in the food business this year.

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Chennai: The last few months have been very difficult for the nation at large and in the fight against the deadly coronavirus, the restaurants across the nation have suffered huge loses.

According to media report, the restaurant owners in Chennai have been staring at an uncertain future as several of their employees have headed back to their native places. The eateries are therefore now struggling to open up even though the government has issued guidelines announcing relaxations for the dine-in process at the restaurants.

A media reported quoted a restaurant owner from Chennai as saying that they do not have many workers and that they have been incurring huge losses in the business. The owner also said that even though he tried to stop the employees from going home, it became a task as he had no money left to help them survive.

Government gives green signal for opening restaurants

The latest guidelines that were issued by the government on Sunday said that the restaurants may allow customers to dine in from June 8 - provided all hygiene and social distancing norms are followed in order to avoid the spread of the deadly virus.

There are several other eateries that are struggling to keep up their business and open up again as they heavily depend on the migrant workers who have returned to their native places.

Reports suggest that the restaurant owners have also been trying to rope in several local workers to restart their business. However, the idea isn't working out very well as the local workers have been demanding almost double the money that the earlier employees used to take for the same work.

Food business incurring losses in other cities too

However, Chennai is not the only city that has been facing problems in the food industry. The food business in Bengaluru has also been disrupted in the process and the industry sources have hinted at no new openings in the food business this year.

According to media reports, a renowned association in Bengaluru has suggested that about 10% of the total restaurants have been put up for sale by their owners.