A closed bar does not merely mean a halt in alcohol sales.
It signals a sharp fall in the number of people eating out. It means an uncertain future for bartenders, mixologists and servers. It means fewer rides for cab drivers at night. It also means several of the city’s bustling neighbourhoods suddenly appear deserted during what should be peak business hours.
One of the city’s chic lounge bars in south Calcutta, known for its extensive cocktail menu, said it earns over ₹2 lakh on an average working day. On Tuesday, it earned just about ₹30,000.
“Our fixed overhead costs, like electricity, other bills and staff salaries, add up to close to ₹1.5 lakh a day. This prolonged ban on alcohol will hurt us very badly. The staff have already worked for 20 days. We cannot pay them half the usual salary,” said Rajnish Kumar Singh, the manager.
The outlet can host 150 diners at a time. On Tuesday, only six guests were seated at two tables when this newspaper visited.
About 60% of the outlet’s revenue comes from liquor sales. Occupancy usually exceeds 50% between 3pm and 6pm even on weekdays, Singh said. Noon to 6pm on weekdays are “happy hours”, when drinks are priced lower than usual.
If the owner was worried about breaking even this month, a waiter at a 90-year-old bar in Bhowanipore was anxious about household expenses and groceries.
Since Monday afternoon, a “bar closed” notice has been pasted on the locked gates of the establishment.
The waiter, who requested anonymity, has been serving customers there for over 20 years. His salary is a meagre ₹4,000. He earns an additional ₹100 for each working day. With tips from regular patrons, his monthly income comes to around ₹10,000.
“I am worried about my bills and household expenses,” he said. He lives with his wife and younger son. His elder son is a contractual worker in a railway project in a neighbouring state.
The Election Commission has invoked a 117-year-old, Raj-era law to impose an unprecedented 198-hour ban starting Monday on the sale and serving of liquor across Calcutta and adjoining districts voting in the second phase on April 29.
The standard poll-time ban, imposed in most states during the Assembly elections, is 48 hours until the end of polling.
There is also a ban on the sale and serving of alcohol on counting day, May 4.
Only in its second day, the ban was already causing significant losses.
The impact varies by establishment. Lounge bars, where liquor is the main revenue driver, are hit harder than legacy restaurants that also serve alcohol. But across the board, from businesses to individuals, none have been spared.
Anjan Chatterjee, veteran restaurateur who owns over a dozen alcohol-serving outlets in the city, said the ban would affect “general sentiment and, consequently, footfall”.
He said that at outlets like Mainland China, liquor contributes about 12% to 15% of revenue, while at pubs like Hoppipola, it can go up to 60%.
“Our production costs have already gone up due to the disruption in cooking gas supply. Now the alcohol ban is like a double whammy,” he said.
Around 10pm on Tuesday, Park Street looked forlorn.
Liveried gatekeepers stood idle outside establishments.
On any normal weekday, the stretch buzzes with diners, app cabs and yellow taxis jostling along the kerb for pickups.
“Between 9.30pm and 11.30pm is prime time. Look at it now,” said a cab driver outside The Park Hotel.