A supply crunch of commercial LPG, triggered by disruptions in liquefied natural gas shipments from West Asia, has begun affecting Kolkata’s restaurants and cafes. Several restaurateurs and owners fear that a prolonged shortage could disrupt F&B operations across the city.
“The situation appears to be worse in other metro cities. Like many others across pan-India markets, we too are beginning to feel the pressure of inconsistent commercial gas supply. If the situation escalates further, we may have to consider temporary measures such as restricting menus to manage kitchen operations efficiently. We have already held a series of meetings and are preparing precautionary steps,” said Debaditya Chaudhury, director of Chowman, Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2.
The Centre has diverted gas supplies to prioritise domestic LPG, CNG and hospital supply after LNG shipments from West Asia were affected by the ongoing conflict. India imports a significant portion of its LPG from Gulf countries and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — a key global energy route — have tightened supply for commercial users like restaurants.
While the situation has not yet escalated into a full-blown crisis in Kolkata, restaurateurs say they are beginning to experience irregular deliveries from suppliers.
Chaudhury said the restaurant group, which has about 20 outlets in the city, was preparing contingency plans to keep operations running if the disruption continues.
“This LPG crisis is going to affect the restaurant business very badly. For the past two days, whatever order we are placing with our vendor, we are getting only 50 per cent of it,” said Sushanta Sengupta, founder-director of Savourites, which runs the 6 Ballygunge Place restaurants.
A delivery man carries a cylinder to a customer Amit Datta
Sengupta said the shortage could also affect banquet bookings and outdoor catering commitments.
“We have banquets in three of our restaurants. There are events scheduled on March 14 and 15, and throughout the month, where advance payments have been taken. If this crisis continues, it will affect our banquets, outdoor catering and restaurants,” he said.
Sengupta says that the situation is potentially the worst disruption since the pandemic. “We don’t really have an alternative, and even if there is one, it cannot be created quickly.”
However, the biggest challenge is that most kitchens in India are designed to run on LPG and not on electric systems.
“This is a massive crisis for us because our restaurants run on gas and LPG. Most of us are not induction cooking-based restaurants, and we don’t have that infrastructure. It hasn’t come in a big way to India yet,” said Urvika Kanoi, owner of The Daily in Kolkata and Cafe Duco in Mumbai.
Kanoi said restaurant owners in the city had begun reaching out to each other for help in sourcing gas cylinders.
“All of us are scrambling to make sure that our establishments have gas, but our suppliers just don’t have stock. Many of us are reaching out to each other within the community to see if someone can help replace an empty cylinder. If we are not given access to LPG, we will have no option but to shut down,” she said.
Moushumi Sircar, restaurateur and partner at Bonne Femme, said their kitchens depend almost entirely on LPG. “The ongoing LPG situation is a major concern for us. Nearly 90 per cent of our cooking operations are done on LPG and only a small portion through induction. This disruption directly impacts our day-to-day functioning, from preparing food for guests to ensuring meals for our staff."
Some establishments have not yet faced a shortage. but are taking precautionary steps.
“Currently, we have not faced any disruption in LPG supply at our cafe and restaurants. However, our vendors have advised us to maintain a buffer stock as a precaution due to the ongoing geopolitical situation,” said chef Rabin Dasgupta, executive chef at Aauris.
Some establishments like Flurys, with electric kitchen infrastructure, said they were less affected. “Most of our kitchen equipment runs on electricity, so our dependence on LPG is minimal. This has helped ensure smooth operations across our outlets in Kolkata and other cities despite the current LPG supply challenges,” said Rajesh Singh, national head of Flurys.
“Waiting and watching as of now. We haven’t thought of a backup plan yet,” said Anand Puri, owner of Trincas, Other Room, Mink Room and Tavern.
