Restaurants in Delhi-NCR fear shutdown as commercial LPG cylinder supply hit amid West Asia conflict

According to Singh, outlets (70%) which are likely to get most affected, comprises 4% restaurants with over 100 seats, 70% with below 50 seats, and the rest with a capacity between 50 to 100. These outlets use between two-six 19-kg gas cylinders daily, depending on the seating capacity.

Varun Kheja, the owner of The Imperial Spices, a multi-cuisine restaurant in Delhi’s Connaught Place, said they could only serve up till lunch on Wednesday. “We are a 90-plus seater outlet and require three cylinders daily. We do have a gas bank of four-six cylinders, which will be over soon. We have shifted to electric frying and electric induction-based processes,” he said.

Kheja, also the Noida head of the NRAI, said: “We have around 2,500 restaurants and eateries in Noida, both organised and unorganised, but very limited source for gas supply. The worst thing is to lose a customer.”

Vicky Saluja, owner of Baby Dragon Bar & Restaurant in Noida Sector 18, termed the impact “very serious”. “We had put in a supply request last night, but the agency said they have received strict orders from authorities to prioritise hospitals and educational institutions. We have switched to electric inductions, but the commercial ones cost Rs 10,000-12,000,” Saluja said.

Meanwhile, in Gurgaon as well, outlets are looking for alternatives.

“Vendors said they do not have commercial LPG cylinders. We are getting updates from the news. There has not been any circular. As of now, we have enough stock for the next one-two days, and are figuring out alternatives. Electric or induction-based stoves are an option, but it’s not feasible everywhere. In high-density streets, the load cannot be increased just like that. Everyone in the space seems to be facing the issue,” Akshit Behl, growth and investment head, Khadak Singh Da Dhaba, said.

A distributor in Laxmi Bai Nagar, who did not wish to be named, said: “We used to get 300 gas cylinders everyday. But now, we have not received commercial cylinder supply for two days and domestic supply is arriving on alternate days.”

“We generally keep a stockpile of around 500 kg — from which we have been supplying gas to commercial customers. But it will be a huge problem if there is no more supply for two more days,” he said.

Anil Kumar Jain, owner of Vikram Enterprises, a gas supplier in West Kidwai Nagar, said domestic gas supply has not been affected yet, but supply to commercial customers had to be stopped for the past two days. “Most scared are small restaurants which do not keep even a single day’s backup,” he said, “and they are now flocking to suppliers.”

“Yes there is a shortage and the quantity of commercial LPG cylinders is currently low. Normal cylinder deliveries are on,” said a representative of Ravi Gas Agency, Gurgaon.