Muted Easter in eateries of poll-bound Puducherry

Puducherry: Restaurants in poll-bound Puducherry were looking for ways to offer special brunch to customers on Easter due to LPG shortage. The quaint White City in the heart of the Union Territory is full of cafes that traditionally serve Easter brunch to cater to the large Christian population and tourists. However, this year traditional menus were reviewed and some brunches were shelved.

John Peter, owner of Cafe Veloute, said some special dishes were skipped. “The Easter menu is ready weeks in advance, but this time we were still figuring it out. I usually serve ‘nalli rogan josh’, but since it requires slow cooking and this was not possible due to the LPG problem, we took it off the menu.”

Some other restaurants have scrapped their brunch altogether. “This is the first time in 32 years that we are not having Easter brunch at our restaurant,” Rendezvous owner Valerie Mathias told ET.

“LPG cylinder prices in the black market have reached ₹5,000 and it is not possible. We are considering whether it is worth keeping the restaurant running or taking a break during the summer months and opening it in June when we hope the situation will improve,” he said.

“We make bread and pizza in a wood-fired oven,” said Sujith Mechery, Bread & Chocolate’s food and beverage manager. M Vicky, who owns a roadside restaurant called White Town Special, bought a stove worth ₹20,000 as fuel to get through this period.

Some shop owners are worried that LPG prices will increase rapidly and even stocks will decrease after the elections are over. Restaurateurs also expressed concerns about restrictions imposed by authorities on promotional tours and rallies organized by prominent politicians. “The LPG issue and the surveys conducted during this period kept tourists away and negatively affected our business,” Mathias said.