The Krishnagiri District Hotels Association has set out a blueprint for the running of the day-to-day food business with the LPG cylinder shortage looming large even as the consequences of the fallout of the war in West Asia are yet fully unravelled. .
On Tuesday, the Association, with over 89 members, convened an urgent meeting in the backdrop of Bengaluru Hotels Association announcing a shutdown or scaling down of operations on Monday night.
Trimmed menus, shift over to firewood and coal, slashing hotel timings are among the immediate measures to be taken by hotels to tide through the crisis.
T. Gobikannan, partner of Hotel Mangalam and also president of Krishnagiri Maavata Vanigargalin Sangam, said tweaking the menu to focus largely on items that are easy to cook on firewood; including bakery items for even snacks; slashing the hotel service timings are among the key alternatives being mulled over for implementation to work through the present crisis. “There would be more of rice, variety rice, idly, pongal, and other items that can be cooked as on-pot meals just to ensure customers are not turned away.”
As of now, there is no option of a complete shutdown given the stakes, says Mr.Gobikannan. Most of the hotels are running in rental buildings and rent is a recurring expenditure. “This is not just about the business, it is also about our workers. We cannot send them home overnight. Also, there are bank dues that cannot be skipped,” says Mr.Gobikannan.
However, he acknowledged some 30% of small road-side eateries with subsistence day-to-day operations, and little to no working capital for upgrades already shutting shops on Tuesday.
The hotels are also relying on the assurance given by the elite dealers, those who have been in business with the long-standing restaurants for decades. “We have been dealing with them for over 25 years, and the dealers have promised stocks for another two days or so,” he says.
The prudent way forward is to scale down the operations and find ways to do business, and it is possible, says K.V. Ranganathan, treasurer, District Hotels Association. Electric stoves, coal, and firewood will be brought back to the kitchen, he says.
“While North Indian breads can be made in tandoors, gravy items will require gas. But Chinese items that can only be cooked in pre-heated gas fuelled stoves will completely go off the menu cards,” he says. “Today, the cost of firewood that was ₹175 per 25 kg is being quoted at ₹400. They too will have replenish their stocks and we are yet to understand how this will pan out,” adds Mr. Gobikannan.
A firewood dealer says, as of Tuesday, there was no change in prices, but the traders will decide the rates in the coming days.
Published – March 10, 2026 09:04 pm IST
