Look around and you’ll see a new shop, restaurant, laundry or grocery store around every corner. The pandemic has led to many businesses shutting down but the silver lining is that several entrepreneurs are recovering. They are rebuilding their lives, giving employment to those who have lost jobs and providing fresh options to customers.
“I had invested heavily in a cloud kitchen that I opened in September 2019 and just when things were about to look up the lockdown happened. All my staff left and I had to shut down,” says Gaurav Agarwal, who had started the kitchen from his CJ Block home.
Not to be deterred, Gaurav has turned the space into a departmental store now — Krishnam. “While the future of the restaurant food was hazy I realised there would be a steady demand for grocery items come lockdown, strike or riot. So I began this store with my friend’s mom.”
Rabi Singh was dejected about his business in the infrastructure field. “After demonetisation and GST, Covid was the last nail in the coffin. The only businesses making money during the pandemic were liquor, medicines and food. Since I am a food connoisseur and have a base in Lucknow, I decided to bring authentic Lucknowi cuisine to the city in the form of Galawat in AE Block.”
Clay model-making workshops at Seejh, a new handicraft store in CF Block Sourced by the correspondent
Eyeing an opportunity
In the early days of the lockdown everyone was busy trying out new dishes and proof of the pudding would be all over social media. Yashvee Dewan, a home baker, spotted an opportunity here.
“People finally had the time to realise their love for baking but top quality ingredients weren’t available. So I started All About Baking in BE Block which sells cooking chocolate, different kinds of cheese, premixes and even cake boxes. Lots of bakers are coming now. About 70 per cent of them bake professionally and the rest bake for their families,” says Yashvee.
The new kid in CB Block is Mr Grocer’s. “We realised people were still scared to venture far from home so a friendly neighbourhood grocery store would fill the gap. We have home delivery services and started a mobile app last month too,” says supervisor Joy Kar.
Vansh Modi, a college student who had always wanted to host the perfect combination of cafe and restaurant, took the plunge this month. “I am confident about this venture as despite the pandemic, food is something people are not compromising on. We shall offer all-round entertainment in the form of pool table, live music and are also opening a rooftop lounge soon,” says Vansh, who opened Ciel in AJ Block.
Lizard’s Skin Tattoos, that has its flagship store opposite South City Mall, decided to branch out to CF Block after getting numerous calls from this part of town during the pandemic. “Tattoos are something people are passionate about; many students save up for months to get one. But they were feeling unsafe to take app cabs to south Calcutta to get inked. So we set shop here,” says manager Sriya Roy Choudhury.
Just by chance
Then there’s Kabir Ray, a US-based tattoo artiste who had come to visit his family last year and could not return. “I’ve had a tattoo studio in City Centre 2 for 10 years now but obviously that was shut and I started getting random calls from people asking me to go over to their houses and ink them,” says Kabir.
So he opened a branch of Black Hive Tattoo in BF Block and has been getting not just clients for tattoos and piercing but also students to learn the art. “I’m also selling tattoo equipment,” he says.
Opportunity knocked on Ashish Manpuria’s door when his CF Block tenants — a burger joint — packed up after March. “We run Archies outlets around town but had wanted to dabble in the food business too,” says Ashish, who nimbly took a franchise of Krazy Kulcha and opened up earlier this month.
Jewellery-making workshops at Seejh, a new handicraft store in CF Block Sourced by the correspondent
The right time
Mabesha, the popular sari shop of Gariahat, has been a permanent fixture at Bidhannagar Mela (Utsav) for years. “Visitors would request us to open a Salt Lake branch and though we had taken up space around Kwality More eight years ago, were somehow unable to open up,” says Keka Paul, a resident of CF Block.
Things finally fell into place during the pandemic and they decided to open in February. “Since the fair has been cancelled this year, we wanted to compensate by presenting customers an entire store at around the same time,” Keka smiles.
They are slightly apprehensive due to Covid and since many sari shops have had to shut down but are expecting sales to pick up gradually.
Osho, the chain of dry cleaners, had plans of opening in BE Block for a while now but waited till November. “We wanted to be sure that people were ready to come out again. Even now customers ask about our safety and hygiene measures,” says an executive of the store, Moumita Das.
“Also, a lot of our staff members were not back in town yet. Without them we couldn’t run our Beleghata factory.” They now have a free pick up and drop facility that is being widely patronised.
Then there are the likes of Sweet Bengal, that had plans of opening in both CF Block and Lake Town but had their plans deferred due to the pandemic.
“These months have been like being in jail for residents. They are now desperate to get out, even at the risk of falling ill,” says Pradeep Ruia, who has started the Chitrakut sweet parlour in DA Block recently.
On weekends, people throng the footpath outside their store for breakfast of club kachoris and chhole bature.
Some restaurants opened during festive seasons — Durga puja, Christmas, Valentine’s Day — to encash on the heightened footfall.
The dhaba Javed Akhtar worked at initially was a partnership with a food home delivery app in CK Block but at the first hint of the lockdown, the app asked them to shut shop.
“We knew we had a loyal customer base so afterwards took up space in CJ Block. We ran a cloud kitchen but on public demand opened a dine-in too.”
In fact, their space now holds — not one but — three outlets — Just Fry for snacks, Apna Dhaba for vegetarian and Dhaba Wale for non-vegetarian food. Incidentally, this CJ Block space used to house a different restaurant before.
A customer checks out the offerings of Sweet Bengal, a new store at CF Block Brinda Sarkar
Covid worries
While Gaurav is satisfied with the performance of his new grocery store, Krishnam, he says competition has got stiff. “Time was when the profit margin in this business was 25 per cent but so many outlets have opened during the pandemic that we are forced to give heavy discounts. Profit margin is now 5-8 per cent,” he says.
“Anyway, it’s also true that people are staying away from hyper markets now to avoid crowds. The queues there are serpentine, home delivery takes long. These are points where we score high,” Gaurav explains.
Anand Saraf, manager of Yumpty The Family Store in AC Block, says customers have less money in hand now. “Basic food items will always have takers but we specialise in things like luxury chocolates, sale of which has slowed down.”
Joy of Mr Grocer’s agrees. “We can make out pockets are tight as the cheaper varieties of rice are selling more than the premium ones,” he says.
CJ Block has a new departmental store — Krishnam. Brinda Sarkar
Upside of pandemic
“Since so many shops shut down, newcomers like us got to choose from property in prime locations,” says Singh of Galawat. “Rent has dipped by about 30 per cent too.”
Cafe Darshini in CF Block got lucky with recruitment. “Ours is an authentic south Indian restaurant and we wanted southern chefs,” says Arun Kumar. “That we found them easily was only because they had lost their jobs elsewhere.”
The outlet, that opened in December, is doing well during breakfast and snack hours, “but we are noticing office-going folks come and ask for thalis so we may start those during lunch time,” says Arun.
An attendant prepares tea at Cafe Darshini, around the Swimming Pool Brinda Sarkar
Small is in
The restaurants that have opened in the pandemic are all compact in size, seating about 15 people. And why not, since many customers are preferring take-aways to dining in.
The seafood restaurant Pisces has moved out of a 40-seater joint to a 24-seater in CA Block. It is now Rindex Pisces, thanks to a business deal. Millie’s, that used to have three of four tables laid out at their CG Block counter, does not have any seats at all at their newly-opened AE Block outlet.
“Customers are asking for sitting arrangement so we will start it but frankly, we don’t want a crowd while Covid-19 is around,” says supervisor Resmi Panda. They are now selling cakes and macarons but have yet to re-start pizzas and other savouries they were famous for.
Millie’s has moved into a smaller space at BE Block and Black Hive Tattoo opened its second branch, in CF Block, during the pandemic Sourced by the correspondent
Tweaks and cuts
The new outlets are trying new tactics to get customers to come over. Malt, the pub at New Town’s Astra Towers, is hosting even international musicians but maintaining social distancing by limiting the tickets they sell.
“Our space is massive, with a capacity of 2,600 but we taking only 200 people for such events now. We had to refuse many reservations for events like Valentine’s Day too,” says director Abhinav Shandilya.
Rindex Pisces has edited its previously elaborate menu and adjusted some prices. “We have done away with Goan cuisine and are concentrating on Thai now. Our Red Snapper dish, which used to cost Rs 1,500 is available within Rs 1,200. Previously we used to sell two or three of these everyday but now expensive items have slowed. We have reduced prices of our chicken dishes from Rs 310 to 280 too,” says Kundan Kumar.
Seejh, the handicraft store in CF Block, is holding free workshops to pull crowds. “We are teaching them to make 90 per cent of what we sell —jewellery, clay models, chocolate, ghee, pickle etc. It is giving people something interesting to do and also letting them take a look at our store,” says Sulekha Singha Roy. “We also want to hold yoga, meditation classes and discourses on physiotheraphy and ayurveda.
