Delhi makes a beeline for pubs post Navratra

The Navratra and elections added up to 11 days of no partying for a lot of Delhiites. So, this Friday saw an increased turnout at pubs and clubs across the city
After nine days of the Navratra, plus two dry days due to the elections, the pace of Delhi’s nightlife picked up on Friday, much to the relief of pub and club owners. The eleven days of low footfall had resulted in a major decline in their business, but it was compensated by the huge turnout on Friday.
Jahan liquor nahi hoga wahan youth aake kya karega: Pub owners
“This Friday was special for us. We were very happy with the turnout and the cafe was packed. During the Navratra, the business went down by 40-50% but the Friday turnout brought back happy times. We saw an increase of 20% in the footfall.
Navratra ke time pe koi aata hi nahi tha. Bahut zyada problem ho gayi thi. The two dry days due to the elections added to our loss. Ab jahan liquor nahi hoga wahan youth aake kya karega? Sirf khane ke liye toh puri Dilli padi hai,” says Dinesh Arora, managing director, ELF Café Lounge.
Better than any other Friday
“The Friday night picked up quite nicely. We saw a good turnout and there were more expats than locals. Generally, during the Navratra, people refrain from drinking. This time they had to hold themselves back for two extra days because of the elections. After 11days of lull, Friday saw some 300-odd people in the club. Also, yesterday was the second Saturday of the month. There are some who work on weekends but get an off on the second Saturday. That was also a factor in increasing the turnout. This Friday was, therefore, better than any other Friday,” says Diljeet Singh Bindra, general manger, Shiro.
A good start to the weekend
“We saw more than 300 guests on Friday, which is a nice start to the weekend. The turnout was high as compared to any other Friday, as it was the first Friday after the Navratra and the elections.
Every year during Navratri, footfall decreases, but this time it was followed by two more days of a complete lull because of the elections, and so the loss was greater. But now we all have geared up again,” says Vikas Doyal, operational supervisor, Hard Rock Cafe.
40% increase in footfall
“It’s not that we were not getting any customers during Navratri. The turnout was just very low. They were mostly expats or those from the northeast. But this Friday, we saw a 40% increase in turnout as compared to any other Friday. In fact, we are expecting double turnout throughout the weekend,” says the manager at Shroom.
Business down by 30-40% during Navratri
“People were not aware that pubs were opening after 6pm on voting day. So there was no turnout on Thursday and during Navratri, there is always a lull; revenues go down by 30-40%. Even on Friday, many people were not sure if the pub was open. We got many calls asking if we were open. The turnout was decent; we weren’t disappointed,” says Hemant Nautiyal, general manager, Striker (Delhi, Gurgaon).