PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE Nainital
Dining out has become expensive in the lake city thanks to the deepening commercial LPG crunch coupled with the latest steep hike in its price. Along with the locals, the tourists will have to shell out more for eating out.
The hotel and restaurant owners, who have been facing a severe shortage of commercial LPG cylinders for two months, have decided to increase their menu prices by 25 to 30 per cent. They say they have no other option but to go for this move with the price of the commercial cylinders being raised to Rs 950.
“These cylinders are not easy to get. We are literally going from door to door and most of times we returned disappointed. So we are being forced to fall back upon more expensive cooking alternatives like coal- fired ovens and induction cooktops and so the costs are rising. We are worried as the tourist season is round the corner,” a restaurant owner, who runs business in a place frequently thronged by tourists, said.
They say that they are considering raising beverage prices, too.
But they fear that this decision would impact the tourist footfalls. “Nainital remains the first choice of tourists in summer. Their footfalls may come down. We are, however, helpless. At the same time, we will see to it that the tourists get the best service and the best quality food and beverages while in Nainital,” assured a hotel owner.
A restaurant owner in Mallital, Nainital, Ruchir Shah said that the restaurant owners are facing formidable challenges due to the LPG crunch. “As LPG is scarce, we are opting for traditional cooking methods along with induction cooktops. Subsequently, coal prices have risen significantly and electricity bill amounts are also surging up too. Add to this, the latest hike in commercial LPGs and one can understand our plight when tourist influx is expected soon,” he said.
