Bars hit by SC ruling in Gurugram’s Sector 29 ask staff to go on leave or find jobs

One of the Millennium City’s favourite party spots, Sector 29, wears a desolate look.

After the Supreme Court banned sale of liquor within 500m of a national or State highway, the Excise and Taxation Department here has decided not to renew licences of around 50 restaurants in Sector 29 and on Sohna Road. This, even as ambiguity prevails around the status of big hotels like The Leela, The Oberoi, Crowne Plaza, and complexes like Cyber Hub.

Hoping against hope

Left with no choice, many bars in Sector 29 have pulled down their shutters. Despite heavy losses, restaurants that earlier served liquor are now running the show hoping against hope.

Around 30 people, including kitchen staff, at Sense of Spirits, a restaurant-cum-bar at Sector 29, have been asked to proceed on leave for a fortnight, hoping that the ambiguity over the Supreme Court order will have cleared till then.

“We had a staff of 45. The Excise and Taxation officials came on April 2. They told us that our restaurant was within the 500m limit and that we could not serve liquor. In the last five days, our sales have dipped from ₹1 to 2 lakh per day on weekdays to just ₹8,000 to 10,000. We have asked over 30 people to proceed on leave or look for jobs elsewhere. We are still hopeful, but if we are not allowed to serve liquor then those 30 staff members will lose their jobs,” said manager Shyam Pant. He added that the court did not even allow bar owners enough time to shift their businesses.

Bustling with activity throughout the week, Warehouse Cafe, another restaurant-cum-bar in Sector 29, was empty. “The business is lost. We have a staff of around 40. If the situation persists, we will not able to retain them for long,” said manager Sunil Joshi.

Standing outside Divino, a fresh beer and wine café that stands closed, Rajender — a member of the staff — said that more than half the shops in that row had pulled down their shutters as they were within the 500m limit. “My owner also had a bar on Sohna Road, which stands closed. Our neighbour, Walking Street - Pub and Brewery, had two more bars at Cyber Hub and on Sohna Road. While two of the three have been shut down, the fate of the third is yet to be determined. If these five bars are shut down, around 300 people might lose their jobs. While some of the employees are waiting for the final outcome, others have started looking for jobs,” he added.

‘Hurting investments’

Jasbir Singh, manager at The Golden Dragon, said that almost all restaurants and bars within the 500m limit in Sector 29 would be forced to shut down as running just a food joint was not financially viable. “With rents ranging from ₹5 to 7 lakh per month, besides salaries and other expenses, it is not possible to survive without serving liquor,” said Mr. Singh. He added that the SC order would also hurt the foreign and domestic investment sentiment. “One day, the government banned currency, then the court banned cabs and BS-III vehicles. Now, they have shut down bars and hotels. What message are trying to give to the investors?” said Mr. Singh.