Some restaurants have shut down. Many others are on the edge of closure.

Bakeries, catering units and allied businesses have been hit hard by the curbs on commercial LPG cylinder supplies, a blow many said is comparable only to the uncertainty experienced during the pandemic.

Some major players have shifted to electric cooking, but for larger operations, electricity alone is insufficient. Medium and smaller establishments, unable to afford a seamless transition to electric, are struggling to stay afloat.

“I have almost begged dealers for extra LPG cylinders. I offered to pay extra, but still could not get what I needed,” said a top restaurateur.

Bengali restaurant chain Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor shut its Patuli and Jadavpur outlets on Tuesday. Many others reported having stock that would last barely a couple of days.

BijoliGrill, one of Calcutta’s leading catering units, has stopped accepting fresh orders for events scheduled in the coming weeks.

Sudesh Poddar, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India, said: “Very few restaurants have stocks that would last a week. Most can operate for only two to three days with current supplies. The threat of indefinite closure looms over many.”

LPG is the primary cooking fuel in restaurants. The Centre has instructed oil companies to prioritise commercial gas for essential services — such as hospitals and schools — over hotels and restaurants. As a result, distributors have halted supplies to commercial establishments.

Hotel and restaurant associations are in urgent discussions with the government to restore at least partial supply.

“We have written to the (Union) ministry of petroleum and natural gas. Many people depend on restaurants for their daily meals. We were designated an essential service during the Covid pandemic. Why not now?” said Sagar Daryani, CEO and co-founder of Wow! Momo Foods and president of the National Restaurant Association of India.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee chaired a meeting on Wednesday to assess the LPG crisis. “We have also spoken for restaurants and those who do home delivery,” she said after the meeting.

The looming threat of shutdown has sparked desperation and, in some cases, violence. LPG distributors in Calcutta and its northern fringes reported attacks on delivery personnel while distributing domestic cylinders, sometimes allegedly by restaurant employees.

“The situation is very uncertain. If the crisis continues, we may have to close all our outlets within a day or two,” said Rajiv Paul, managing director of Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor, which operates 25 outlets in Calcutta.

A notice at the Jadavpur outlet read: “Due to LPG gas crisis, we regret to inform you that Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor will remain closed starting today, March 10, for a few days.”

A bakery in Behala and another in Sodepur have temporarily shut down as well.

Some bigger players have managed a partial reprieve. Mocambo has shifted to electric cooking, and Peter Cat plans to follow. Mainland China, Riyasat and other fine-dining restaurants owned by Speciality Restaurants have also moved to electric.

“We flew in some induction cookers from Mumbai, and also have some combi-ovens that run on both gas and electricity. We are operating on electricity now, but with a truncated menu,” said Anjan Chatterjee, founder of Speciality Restaurants.

Bar-B-Q on Park Street has partially switched to electric cooking with a reduced menu, said owner Rajiv Kothari.

For most restaurants, however, switching requires significant investment and an increase in sanctioned electrical load — a challenging task.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has instructed catering units in its western zone to adopt microwave and induction cooking and maintain stocks of ready-to-eat items for passengers. “You must switch over to alternate cooking modes viz. microwaves and induction, to offset any potential shortage in LPG supplies,” the advisory stated.