Rooftops hit but vacation surge drives up footfall in other restos

Time of India

18-05-2025

Kolkata: While rooftop restaurants remain shut, most others across Kolkata have seen a major footfall surge with the onset of summer vacation. The rise is around 25% compared to April and around 10%-15% higher than last May, say restaurant bodies.
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Even though a footfall surge is normal in summer, this time it has been better, prompting many to organise food festivals and offer special platters.
have been spilling over, with several recording a 100% footfall for the better part of the day since last weekend. "Even weekdays have been very busy for us since last week when summer vacation started in most schools," said a manager at Mocambo on Park Street.
Oasis on Park Street, too, has seen a surge in attendance since last Saturday.
"Those two days of Indo-Pak conflict were bad. It suddenly picked up after it stopped, and footfalls have been on the rise ever since. Evenings are more crowded than lunchtime but overall, it's been significantly better than last summer," said owner Pratap Daryanani.
Across the road, One Step Up, however, is yet to see a crowd surge. Bar-B-Q has been crowded, though, said Viraj Kothari, one of the owners. "We expect a surge from next week as the summer holidays set in across more schools and colleges," he said.
"This is the weather when footfall shoots up since people are keen to avoid the kitchen heat. We have seen a major spurt across restaurants, and it's rising every day. At three of my restaurants, footfall increased by 15% compared to May 2024, and I expect it to rise further. The trend should last at least till the onset of rains," said Sudesh Poddar, president of Hotel and Restaurants' Association of Eastern India (HRAEI), who also owns Songhai, Manthan, and MS Bar & Lounge in central Kolkata.
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All three restaurants have seen a sharp rise in beer sales.
Oudh 1590 launched a biryani festival on May 1 that will continue till the month-end. "Almost all Oudh outlets have been fully occupied during evenings since last week. Footfall has been high even during the first half of the day despite the heat. The biryani festival has helped pull in more people. The spurt is at least 10%-15% higher than last summer. We expect the surge to continue till mid-June," said co-owner and founder Shiladitya Chaudhury.
He added that online orders, too, have gone up by at least 20%.
Speciality Restaurants, which has multiple chains, including Mainland China, Haka, Mezunna, Riyasat, and Oh! Calcutta, has seen a 10% rise in footfall on average since last month. Mughlai chain Aminia, too, has seen a 10% footfall swell across its 14 outlets in and around Kolkata. "It was better than last May, probably due to the harsh weather and heatwaves that left the city scorched," said owner Kabir Azhar.
Retro dining restaurant Chapter 2 has remained crowded during evenings since last week.