This story is from August 9, 2020

A party without its crowd: Gurugram steps into the unknown

A party without its crowd: Gurugram steps into the unknown
With a festive season not too far away, many are eager to press restart on their livelihoods, even with all the curbs in place.
GURUGRAM: The identity of the Millennium City rests on four things – international cuisine, freshly brewed beer, malls and golf. So, how does Gurugram stay true to its indulgent spirit in straitened social circumstances? Sharad Kohli and Sakshi Virmani find out
Life as Gurugrammers once knew it is currently on hold. And it will likely be some time before shoppers return to the malls in their droves, or recreational golfers reunite in foursomes to recommence their affair with the game.
Probably even longer before gourmands go back for a meal at their favourite restaurant, and beer lovers for a pint at their microbrewery of choice.
Still, with a festive season not too far away, many are eager to press restart on their livelihoods, even with all the curbs in place. Others would rather proceed cautiously.
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For Sameer Dhar, owner of Nowhere Terrace Brewpub Café, the wait doesn’t feel frustrating. “Not at all. The damage has already been done during the lockdown. Now, keeping in mind high-risk areas like bars, and being responsible citizens, it’s too early for us to reopen,” he told TOI.
And even if microbreweries like Dhar’s are given the go-ahead to pick up where they left off, it will take a while for staff to return, and for pantries and kitchens to re-stock. “Manpower is stuck in different parts of India, and access to raw materials – especially imported food items, and liquors, malts, beers for bars – isn’t completely there. So, it will be a bigger loss,” he worries.

“How can staff come back from the Northeast or from Nepal? Who will ensure the availability of imported items? Because right now, the market is full of stuff that is nearing expiry.
“Further, there’s no certainty – if one server or guest tests positive, the entire staff will be quarantined.”
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A government committed towards ease of doing business is the bare minimum that Dhar seeks. For one, licence fees, he proposes, should be charged every month (in advance), instead of yearly or quarterly, as is done presently. Second, the fees should be reduced keeping in mind the parlous state of the economy, not to mention the fact that it costs much more to obtain a licence in Gurugram than anywhere else in the NCR.
“The government should ensure a lead time of 30 days for us to open, because licences have to be renewed. Also, we have to revamp the place, maintenance and cleaning-up will take time, arranging for staff to return, etc., will take time,” explains Dhar.
Health, wealth & the balancing act
Like many others, Minakshi Singh, co-owner of the extremely popular Cocktails & Dreams - Speakeasy in Sector 15, says she has yet to receive clear directions from the Gurugram administration regarding the opening of bars and permission to serve beyond 10 pm.
“These two are the major issues that we face because most people come out to eat and drink at Speakeasy after 8:30 in the evening. For us to shut by 10 pm is a big deterrent to even run the place. And with no drinks, it just takes away half of our revenue – or even more than half – at the bar,” she argues.
“This has certainly become a big problem for us to plan anything for the future. But with the government nod, it is very much possible for us to operate the bar beyond 10 pm with safety guidelines.”
And, according to Shobha Sengupta – president of the South Point Condominium Association, which looks after South Point Mall on Golf Course Road – retail therapy and public safety can coexist. “Certainly, a balance can be achieved. Shopping is not like working, it doesn’t have to be a daily thing,” she says. “It is easy to take all necessary precautions and come for a little focused shopping and return home.
“And it’s not like we were ever overcrowded. South Point didn’t get much footfall, so we would be fine when it comes to social distancing.”
However, it won’t be easy for eateries, and for bars and pubs, to adjust. Dhar feels the new norms are unworkable for an industry that survives and prospers on human intervention. “Sanitising after and before every guest is served is not possible – how many times can one sanitise the area while people are still enjoying on an adjoining table?” he asks.
Out at Speakeasy, all standard operating procedures are being followed, including frequent cleaning of the premises, checking the temperature of diners (and following up on their contact details), and keeping enough distance between tables and chairs. Moreover, visitors are not being allowed in without a reservation.
“Apart from that, I don’t think we can innovate much in terms of the behaviour of customers. The kind of gentry we attract are not the ones who would take safety guidelines lightly,” insists Singh. “We will, however, not allow larger groups to dine together because we are also working with a leaner team.”
Back in the swing of things?
Out of doors, golfers can head back to the tee but their round now comes with checks – including zero interaction with caddies. “What we can do right now is based on whatever the restrictions are, all of which we are adhering to,” declares Aakash Ohri, senior executive director, business development, DLF.
“The member has a prior booking, so his cart is ready, and he can tee off. He is also billed electronically. So, everything is taken care of,” informs Ohri about the protocols at DLF Golf & Country Club (at present, only the golf facility here is open).
The sport is unique in that it is played over a large area, making physical distancing somewhat easier. As for when normal service will resume on the course, Ohri isn’t overly concerned. “You have to take one day at a time because we honestly don’t know where we are heading,” he admits. “But we have to be safe. And as long as people are compliant, as long as the safety elements are properly in place, then it’s fine.”
Nonetheless, the ‘work hard, play harder’ reputation of Gurugram will remain in cold storage for the foreseeable future. Certainly, there will be little room, says Dhar, for the soft funding, or the excesses and chaos, of pre-coronavirus days, not when public health has become a priority. “Businesses will thrive on practical and ethical grounds and will be complimenting each other rather than competing against each other,” he believes.
Besides, uncertainty, no friend of planning, isn’t going anywhere. “One can’t really say when ‘normalcy’ will return; we are all in the same boat. Until there is a vaccine, people will not let go of the fear. We cannot predict when this will happen, until then we all have to be really careful,” counsels Singh of Speakeasy.
Unsurprisingly, not every F&B establishment or retail outlet has been able to endure the lean months of April and May. “Some stores couldn’t survive the lockdown and that’s very sad. Perhaps, we should have learnt to live with the virus sooner if we didn’t want our economy to crash,” Sengupta muses.
Even so, visitors to South Point, she maintains, were almost always conscious about their health. “Customers wore masks even during the days when pollution was an issue. I am confident they will come back, first in trickles, then all of them. Because, we’re more a neighbourhood market than a mall.”
Dhar expects Nowhere to be back in action sometime in October. The soul of this stamping ground, he assures, will be intact. And so too that of the Millennium City’s. For all the challenges, he’s upbeat. “One can never remove the soul – we will surely be there with the same zeal and vibe.
“Gurugram will rise and shine much more.” To which, a hopeful toast.
End of Article
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