The commercial LPG shortage is affecting restaurants across the country, including hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai, leading to menu changes and closure fears.
Even as the government takes steps to avoid panic buying and black marketing of LPG, restaurants as well as hoteliers across the country have been severely affected by the shortage of commercial cylinders due to the authorities prioritizing domestic gas supplies.
Industry insiders pointed out that the government’s prioritization of domestic gas supply to households has affected the delivery of commercial gas cylinders to restaurants.
But the center and oil companies said that gas reserves are sufficient and there is no reason to panic. The government also issued a directive to increase LPG production by 10 per cent.
Restaurants in Mumbai in Maharashtra, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Gurugram in NCR, etc. have started taking measures to reduce the use of LPG, such as switching to crisis menus with faster cooking items and coal-based tandoor food to avoid the impending shutdown.
Asian and Oriental foods bear the brunt
High-heat cooking, especially for Asian and Oriental dishes, has almost stopped because induction cannot replicate that intensity, said Rahul Rohra, 41, of Veranda in Bandra and Khar. Some kitchens have switched to induction hobs and electric stoves, said an earlier HT report. “We should be allowed to use charcoal for cooking now,” he added.
Shailadia Chaudhary, who owns the famous restaurant chains Oud 1590 and Chowman, said they focus on tandoor food cooked in charcoal ovens. “Efforts are being made to use electric ovens as an alternative to other items but they are not very effective,” Chaudhary said.
Commercial LPG supplies have been halted, said Pralhad Sukhtankar, president of the Goa branch of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). “Distributors have hung up their phones and some restaurants have already closed. Hundreds more will close unless there is some intervention,” he said.
Jayanand Nayak, 45, owner of Hotel Ruchi in Mumbai’s Parel, said he needs three LPG cylinders every day and will receive two by Monday. “I didn’t receive anything today,” Nayak said, adding that he had trimmed the menu and removed items like dosa that needed a lot of cooking gas.
Bengaluru restaurants are reducing their menus
Restaurants across Bengaluru have begun making changes to their menus and preparing for possible closures, as disruption to commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies has left many kitchens struggling to function.
Hotel industry representatives say the shortage, which began earlier this week, has already forced establishments to ration gas usage while looking for alternative arrangements, a separate HT report said. Some restaurants say their remaining supplies will only last a few days.
The turmoil prompted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to seek urgent intervention from the Centre. In a letter to Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday, he urged steps to restore supplies so that commercial establishments can continue to operate.
“As per discussions with oil marketing companies, commercial LPG demand in the state has traditionally been supported by supplies from the three OMCs – IOCL (about 500-550 MT per day), HPCL (about 300 MT per day) and BPCL (about 230 MT per day) – and the sudden disruption of this supply is now severely impacting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru,” it said.
“Any disruption in its functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city. This issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who live far from their homes and depend on hotels and dining facilities for regular meals. In addition, wedding halls (wedding halls), lodges and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, especially with scheduled social and community events,” he added.
Famous Bengaluru dosas to take a hit?
Restaurant owners say the supply decline first became apparent on March 9, when many restaurants received only a small portion of their usual deliveries. An earlier HT report quoted Arun Adiga, managing partner of the nearly eight-decade-old Vidyarthi Bhavan, as saying: “The supply problems started on March 9. Most of the hotels received only about 20 per cent of their usual cylinder shipments, and since then the supply has completely stopped. The distributors themselves are not receiving the cylinders, so service has been effectively cut off to the restaurants.”
For restaurants that rely heavily on gas-powered burners, a shortage could quickly disrupt service. “Many South Indian dishes, especially dosa, require stoves that operate on a constant flame. Our restaurant alone uses six to eight LPG cylinders per day, and larger establishments can consume 10 to 12 cylinders per day,” Adiga said.
Vidyarthi Bhavan usually prepares around 1,800 to 2,000 doses on a weekday. “Dosas consume most of the gas in our kitchen. The immediate step we took was to reduce the number of cylinders running at the same time. If we shut off two of them, the cylinder lasts a little longer. It may help us extend supplies for an additional day or two, but beyond that there is not much we can do if supplies are not resumed,” he said.
The shortage also appears at the distribution level. An employee at a gas agency said customers call more frequently because wait times are longer.
“The waiting period for cylinders has reached about 25 days, and we are receiving constant calls from customers who are concerned about the delay,” the employee said. “We have stopped supplying commercial cylinders because we are not receiving any stock. Local cylinders are still being delivered, but many customers are calling and asking if they can get them instead.”
Restaurant operators say even the black market has not offered a reliable solution. Availability is still scarce, said SP Krishnaraj, owner of Nisarga Grand Hotel on Nrupathunga Road. “As of today, we only have five cylinders left. Even on the black market, one cylinder costs about $100.” $2800 LBP $3000, and despite paying this amount, it is still difficult to find one. The official price of a commercial drum is approximately 19 kg $He said: 1940.
“There has already been a reduction in LPG supplies, and there are indications that the situation may get worse,” said Subramanya Holla S, president of the Bangalore Hotels Association. “If the supply stops completely, Restaurants will inevitably have to close. “What we are asking the government to do is ration the available supplies rather than stop them completely, so that businesses can continue to operate with a smaller menu and shorter working hours.”
“Some establishments are looking at diesel stoves as a temporary solution,” Holla said. “However, they are neither economical nor particularly safe, but many restaurants have no other choice because they do not use electricity for cooking.”
He added that the government notification to cut commercial LPG supplies encouraged black market activity.
“The notification led to hoarding and black market activity, making it difficult for small businesses to obtain cylinders,” he said.
Himachal Pradesh
In Himachal Pradesh, the timing of the crisis occurred just before summer tourism. Anil Walia, a consultant for Shimla hotels and tourism stakeholders, said they were staring at a ‘lockdown’ with many hotels reducing their menus. “This is bad news before the summer tourism season starts.”
Sanjay Gupta, manager of a Super Gas agency in Attawa village near Chandigarh, said no new cylinders had been received in the past three days. He added, “Restaurant owners are somewhat concerned about their inability to stock or store commercial cylinders.”
Meanwhile, the NRAI has issued an advisory to member restaurants asking them to amend their menus.
“Ongoing geopolitical developments have led to severe disruptions in the commercial LPG supply chain… NRAI urges all members to immediately adopt fuel conservation measures to ensure operational continuity,” association president Sagar Daryani said on Tuesday.
“Immediate LPG conversation measures – rationalize menus by temporarily prioritizing dishes requiring less gas usage or shorter cooking cycles, train kitchen staff daily on gas conservation discipline, review operating hours and consider shorter hours in low-demand locations, use alternative cooking solutions and introduce limited crisis menus with faster cooking items,” the two-page advisory added.
(With inputs from Hizb ut-Tahrir correspondents)
