Gujarat Hardlook: Menus shrink & footfall down, LPG crisis shakes Ahmedabad eateries

“Our clientele is down by nearly 40-50%,” Chandra said while adding that unlike other commercial eating joints they are not converting to coal-based alternatives of LPG in the kitchen.

“We cannot compromise on students’ health,” he reasoned, citing concerns over smoke and pollution.

According to Chandra, as they have received two cylinders by the weekend, they hope to get a few more in the next three-four days as promised by their supplier.

The Central University of Gujarat (CUG) almost saw a crisis coming when on April 1, the mess committee chairperson put out a notice to its students stating that the mess menu was being curtailed to “tide over the disruption”.

Citing the geopolitical situation that had led to the short supply of gas all over, the office bearer said in the notice that the university had made alternative arrangements to ensure the mess ran uninterrupted.

At Sindhu Bhavan Road in the Western part of the city, Dakshini 24 – a restaurant serving south Indian cuisine – has almost completely shifted kitchen operations to coal-fired chulha for the past over 15 days. (Express Photo)

The university is located in Kundhela village of Vadodara and has a student strength of over 1,225 with a hostel accommodation provision for 692 students. The Indian Express found that the crisis did not really affect the university.

H B Patel, the Registrar of CUG, Vadodara, told The Indian Express, “On April 1 afternoon a circular was issued for curtailing the mess menu anticipating shortage owing to the prevailing conditions. However, within hours, we received the supply of LPG. The supplier received the mess requirement of an average of 5-6 LPG cylinders daily in the evening. So the circular was withdrawn the same evening.”

Earlier, as reported by The Indian Express, the operator of the canteen at B J Medical College of Ahmedabad too has been facing the shortage of LPG supply. The operator had stated that they were facing a problem, but could not cut down on the menu since the college’s guidelines mandate to serve at least two subzis on the plate. With the shortage of LPG supply, the operator said that they might shift to a wood-fired stove to continue their operations at the canteen.

The Indian Express reached out to many other canteens of educational institutions in Ahmedabad over the issue. However, none of them were inclined to speak.

Eating joints facing losses

Like the campus kitchens, the popular commercial eating joints too have been facing the short supply of LPG. And their response to the same has been more varied.

Manek Chowk in the old-city of Ahmedabad is one of the most famous street food places for the locals. And here too operators are resorting to various means to deal with the LPG shortage.

Arvind Modi, convener of Manek Chowk Food Association, who runs Khodiyar Sandwich at Manek Chowk for the past 16 years, said that he has LPG that can last only till Monday. And after that, if he does not get refill of the LPG, Modi will have to shift to an electric grill that was bought recently as a temporary solution following the crisis.

Modi said that the shift will bring its own challenges for him.

“On weekends, when the crowd increases, speed becomes very important,” he said, noting that electric grills take longer than LPG.

With a regular footfall of 80 to 90 customers, doubling on weekends, he estimates business has dropped by nearly 50 per cent due to the LPG shortage.

Happy Street at Law Garden area in the city is another popular eating hub in west Ahmedabad. (Express Photo)

Happy Street at Law Garden area in the city is another popular eating hub in west Ahmedabad. Satish Patel, owner of Honour Restaurant and president of the Happy Street Food Association, said a single cylinder lasts barely two days.

Patel says they are dealing with the crisis on a daily basis. On Sunday, he had an LPG cylinder that can last for one or two days. Patel expressed concerns that he might have to shut down his restaurant if they do not get regular LPG supply. He adds, “Everyone faces the problem.”

To deal with the rising costs, Patel is mulling an option of increasing the prices of food items on his menu.

According to Patel, he has already shut down his Naranpura branch in Ahmedabad city owing to LPG shortage and manpower issues.

Another landmark eating joint in old Ahmedabad is Chandravilas Restaurant in Ratan Pole. The restaurant is 125 years old and following the LPG crisis, it has shifted its kitchen completely to coal-based chulha and electric coils, and dropped tea from its menu. Its owner Malav Joshi said that there was no clarity from suppliers on LPG availability and normalisation of the situation.

The restaurant, which typically serves 60 to 70 customers a day and up to 200 on weekends, has seen business fall by around 50 per cent. Joshi also pointed out that cutting items such as tea has affected footfall, as it was a regular draw for customers.

Hotel ZK on the Relief Road in Ahmedabad city has taken a more definitive route by fully transitioning to coal-based cooking. Owner Bilal Shaikh, whose restaurant dates back to 1994, said they have avoided cutting menu items due to a loyal customer base and the increased demand during Eid (March 21).

However, this has significantly increased costs. “Earlier we used 50 kg coal with gas, now we are using 100 kg (coal),” he said, adding that expenses have doubled from around Rs 1,500–1,600 earlier to nearly Rs 3,800 owing to shift to coal-based cooking.

Meanwhile, the eating joint Raipur Bhajiya House near Kankaria Lake in the city is in a phase of gradual transition.

Owner Mehul Thakkar said they are operating on their last cylinders while shifting to electric induction, a move already implemented at their Shyamal and Vastrapur branches.

The outlet, established in 1989, has seen a 25 per cent drop in footfall from its usual 200 to 300 customers a day. Highlighting a key challenge, Thakkar said induction cooking affects the ‘live’ experience, food now needs to be prepared in advance as it takes longer to cook compared to LPG, altering both service speed and customer interaction.

The LPG shortage has forced Mehta Chavana, another eatery in Maninagar area of East Ahmedabad, to stop serving rotis and parathas, affecting both regular service and bulk orders. Owner Ankit Mehta said the outlet is facing LPG cylinder shortage, forcing them to say no to large orders. “Sometimes we have to refuse big orders because we don’t have enough gas,” he said.

To continue operations, the eatery has shifted partially to coal and induction cooking. Items like fafda and puri sabzi are still being prepared, but the absence of roti-based items from the menu has impacted demand. Mehta said the business has seen an overall decline of nearly 50%, attributing it to the LPG shortage along with seasonal factors such as exams and reduced discretionary spending. He added that around 10% of customers have been diverted specifically due to the unavailability of rotis.

The outlet is now in the process of securing a Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connection, though delays persist. Mehta said the full menu, including rotis and parathas, will only resume once LPG gas supply stabilises or the PNG connection becomes operational.

Similar adaptations have been witnessed at other parts of the city.

The restaurant, which typically serves 60 to 70 customers a day and up to 200 on weekends, has seen business fall by around 50 per cent. (Express Photo)

At Sindhu Bhavan Road in the Western part of the city, Dakshini 24 – a restaurant serving south Indian cuisine – has almost completely shifted kitchen operations to coal-fired chulha for the past over 15 days. Owner Sachin Patel said, “It’s difficult to run a business without LPG… working without gas is nearly impossible, but we are managing everything on chulha.”

The crisis has also led to specific menu cuts.

“We aren’t serving rasam and Kerala appam with Kerala curry right now,” Patel said, noting that most other items are being continued despite the constraints. He pointed to severe supply issues, saying, “Even if we offer Rs 5,000, it’s hard to get a gas cylinder.”

The restaurant has applied for a PNG connection, but with a three-month process timeline, Patel said reliance on coal remains the only immediate option.

Gidima, another restaurant serving south Indian food on Sindhu Bhavan Road, has a similar story. As the LPG shortage has led the owners to a shift in cooking methods and a reduction in menu offerings.

Founders Kamesh and Paril Patel said the kitchen has moved significantly towards induction-based cooking.

“We have switched to induction-based cooking,” Kamesh said, adding that these adjustments have been necessary to keep the kitchen functional.

The restaurant has cut nearly 20% of its menu, specifically removing items that require longer cooking time on gas. “Anything that takes a lot of time on gas, those menu items have been cut down,” Kamesh said.

The eating joint Raipur Bhajiya House near Kankaria Lake in the city is in a phase of gradual transition. (Express Photo)

To cope with the constraints, the kitchen has also increased batch cooking. “We kept items that were giving us 80% of our revenue,” said Paril. However, he acknowledged that the current setup is not sustainable, adding that a shift to PNG will be necessary in the long term.

At Simran Restaurant in the old city, the LPG shortage has led to intermittent shutdowns of kitchen operations, directly affecting service, particularly for online orders.

Owner Shahul Khan said that when gas supply runs out, the kitchen is forced to shut entirely until new cylinders arrive.

“Many times we have to close the kitchen. Just two days ago, we had to shut and wait until supply came,” he said. To manage the situation, the restaurant has introduced a coal stove as a backup, which was brought in recently to maintain continuity during supply gaps.

Despite the disruptions, Khan said the impact on revenue is limited as shortages have so far not consistently coincided with peak evening hours. He added that the issue is affecting all three of his outlets in the city, and the restaurant is considering a shift to a PNG though costs remain a concern.

(With Inputs from Ritu Sharma)

(Aryan and Nishant are interns with The Indian Express in Gujarat)