Kolkata: The Mahalaya weekend flagged off the festive fervour and triggered a footfall spike across restaurants and bars of Kolkata that saw a full house on Saturday and Sunday. Several ushered in the puja spirit and celebrated the footfall spike with offers on food and drinks, special dishes and live music.The massive footfall spurt has led many to stay open late during the pujas. While attendance rose by around 15%-20%, sales were around 25% higher than the corresponding period of last year, according to the Hotel and Restaurants’ Association of Eastern India (HRAEI).Triggered by the shopping crowd that swarmed the markets of central and south Kolkata during the last pre-puja weekend, restaurants saw a record footfall swell. “It started on Friday evening and have exceeded all expectations. Most central Kolkata restaurants have recorded a full attendance during peak lunch and dinner hours for the last three consecutive days. Saturday was especially crowded due to the Mahalaya holiday. We have never seen such crowds before the puja,” said HRAEI president Sudesh Poddar, also the owner of Songhai-Manthan and MS Bar & Lounge.Both restaurants will stay open till 2 am on the nights of Panchami, Sashthi, Saptami and Navami.Lunch was served for an extended period at most Park Street restaurants including Peter Cat and Mocambo on Park Street on Saturday and Sunday. “The lunch crowd continued to stream in till 5.30 pm which has rarely happened. Footfall started swelling on Friday evening and it has continued since then. We haven’t seen such big turnouts in the past during the pre-puja period. Sunday saw a large lunch crowd, which, again, continued till early evening which is exceptional,” said Nitin Kothari, owner of Peter Cat and Mocambo.Both restaurants, along with Peter Hu, will remain open till 1 am on Ashtami, Navami and Dashami.Multiple outlets of Specialty Restaurants including Mainland China, Oh!Calcutta, Hoppipola, Mezzuna, Haka and Flame & Grill saw a large number of customers swarming in, according to CMD Anjan Chatterjee. “This was the last weekend before puja and we had a fantastic crowd. There was an 18%-22% upsurge in attendance, so we are extending hours for outlets with bars which include Mainland China, Haka, Flame & Grill for about an hour while Hoppipola will stay open till 2 am during the pujas,” added Chatterjee.Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2 outlets saw a big turnout as well. “This may not be the highest pre-puja footfall we have seen but it is definitely a big one. With the weather improving and the shopping crowd out on the streets, this surge should continue. We will remain open till 2.30-3 am on puja days,” said owner and co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury.Several restaurants will be offering special dishes and live music. MS Bar & Lounge, for instance, flagged off a series of live music and DJ nights on Mahalaya. Oasis on Park Street will offer a special puja menu which includes Achari Murg Masala, Mutton Kosha, Chicken and Mutton Dum Biryani, other than the regulars.
