The business for dhabas and small roadside restaurants in the federal capital is low these days since a large number of people have yet to return to the city after celebrating Eid in their hometowns.
The owners of some dhabas and restaurants told Pakistan Today on Saturday that their small businesses were suffering because the number of their customers had decreased just before Eidul Azha and they were yet to resume their normal work.
They said local residents rarely ate out at their restaurants and dhabas. They said most of their customers were people who hailing from different parts of the country were living in the capital for their jobs there.
“Our clientele includes students and government officials who are yet to return to their duties after Eid holidays and once they were back we will be having roaring business as usual,” said Zakar Khan, who has been running a dhaba at Sector-G/7 Markaz for the last four years.
During a survey of the various city markets, Pakistan Today observed that most of the restaurants and roadside dhabas had reopened immediately after Eid holidays, but those which resumed their businesses were still waiting for their customers.
The owners of these economical roadside eating spots, however, are hopeful that by coming Monday, their business will be normal again.
They said during the course of the Eid holidays they were suffering losses since they opened their restaurants on Wednesday.
“The electricity, gas, and water consumption is as per routine and we have to give wages to our employees on a daily basis, so things are not going in our way. It’s all loss and no profit but we still hope that this lean patch will be over by Monday,” another restaurateur Muhammad Ismail said. He said once his customers were back he would be having a good business. He said his place was a favourite with his customers because of low rates for a variety of food items.
In some areas where most of the customers are back were found complaining about food. They said the restaurants were yet to dish out their routine menus and presently they were not offering all the dishes.
“I have to go to three dhabas to get my favorite dish of beans (lobia) and finally I got it here,” said Rizwan Ahmed, while having his lunch at a dhaba at Sitara Market. It was also noted that some of the points were charging extra from their customers while offering substandard food.
“A plate of pulses which was available for Rs 40 before Eid is now available for Rs 60. And that too is a low quality food,” complained a customer, Ali Hussain. However, the owners of those dhabas said they were “trying to minimise their losses in the wake of Eid holidays”.
