Club Curb

When it comes to weekend parties and the nightlife of Pune,Koregaon Park is the one that tops the list of ‘the happening areas’. With numerous pubs and lounges to choose from,Koregaon Park or KP as it’s fondly known,is the most preferred destination amongst the partygoers. Post the German Bakery blast on Saturday however,although most pubs and lounges were open on Sunday,the crowd was missing. While most of them did not hold any special events for Valentine’s Day,as is the regular practice,they did notice a sharp drop in the inflow of customers,despite it being V-Day.

“Though we had kept the place open on Sunday there were just handful of customers. We had planned a few things for Valentine’s Day but we cancelled it at the last minute. We are still in the process of deciding upon the future course of action for the events that were lined up,before the blast happened,” says a senior official working with Hard Rock Café.

There were no special parties planned for Valentine’s Day at One Lounge,which was open for customers on Sunday. “I feel,more than the fear of security or safety,with such a disaster happening in the neighborhood,people are not in a mood of partying or drinking,” said Abhijeet Jagtap,owner of One Lounge,which saw a 25 per cent drop in the influx of customers on V-Day.

However,more than worrying about business,what holds a place of priority for many pub and lounge owners is tightening the security systems. Shailendra Kekade,a senior official of a very prominent resto-bar,which offers good food and music coupled with a great ambience,said that it is impossible to keep the place shut being in the hospitality industry. However,he added,“After what happened on Saturday,our total concentration is on putting up stringent security measures,which will ensure the safety of the customers who come here and also of the people who work here.”

Khodu Irani,owner of High Spirits,says,“As a regular practice we generally don’t hold any special party or offer different menus during Valentine’s Day to avoid any kind of unnecessary vandalism from moral policing outfits.” Irani added that after 26/11,they were asked to beef up the security measures by police officials,to which they adhere to till date and will be stricter henceforth. “No one is allowed to enter here with bags,” he adds.