The festive season has brought a sharp increase in visitors to eateries throughout the city, particularly near popular shopping areas.

From fancy restaurants in malls to the small roll outlet in Gariahat, the eateries have been doing brisk business since last weekend. On Sunday, most restaurants had a queue for lunch. Many in the queue had shopping bags.

Owners said they expected the rush to go up in the coming weeks. Some said they would need more hands to cope with the festive season rush.

Around 2.30pm, at least 15 people were waiting outside Mainland China in South City Mall. They had registered their names for lunch. The waiting time was over 30 minutes, said an employee at the restaurant.

Ratan Paul, a jeweller from Bansdroni, was waiting with his wife, son and daughter. “Puja shopping, followed by lunch, is like a yearly ritual for us,” said Paul. The family was carrying several bags. “We have bought clothes, shoes and perfumes,” Paul said.

Bedouin, the popular roll outlet at Gariahat, had a man frying parathas almost non-stop. “Usually, on a Sunday, we sell between 400 and 500 rolls. Today, we have already sold more than 1,000,” said Abhijit Chaudhuri, who was manning the counter.

Sreemoy Sarkar, who works at an information technology services, consulting, and outsourcing company, was waiting with friends for a bite.

“We do this every year. Puja shopping in Gariahat is incomplete without a munch or two,” said Sarkar.

Shiladitya Chaudhury, owner of Oudh 1590, Chowman and Chapter II, told Metro: “The Puja rush has picked up since last weekend. The number of online orders has remained the same. But there has been a sharp rise in the number of diners at the restaurants.”

The Oudh 1590 outlets on Southern Avenue and Deshapriya Park have been brimming with Puja shoppers, said Chaudhury.

“The approach to Puja is looking much better this year. The GST revision will leave people with some extra money in their hands. The festive season should be very good. The only threat is a vigorous monsoon,” said Sagar Daryani, president and national head of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI).

The run-up to Durga Puja is one of the most lucrative times for business. But last year, the raging protests over the RG Kar rape and murder had torpedoed pre-Puja business across the city.

On Sunday, the eateries were busy because the shopping hubs were busy. Driving to South City was a challenge. On both flanks of Prince Anwar Shah Road, one in four cars seemed to be headed to the mall. Traffic often crawled at Gariahat, Hatibagan and New Market.

Gariahat was very much its chaotic self on Sunday afternoon. The stores were busy entertaining customers, as were the hawkers along the pavements. “Footfall is good. We have sold more than 60 saris,” Manabendra Saha, co-owner of Traders Assembly — a sari shop almost synonymous with the Gariahat intersection — told Metro around 4pm. Handloom saris were in demand this season, he said.

At South City and Acropolis Mall, almost every store was busy. The cash counters had a long waiting time because of a queue of customers. Almost every trial room was occupied.

The city’s original eat street was also crowded. The Park Street restaurants were packed for lunch and dinner. Some of the diners were shoppers.

Around 3pm, Aminia in New Market was buzzing. The aroma of biryani and kebabs wafted through the air as waiters kept carrying plates from the kitchen to the tables.

“The pre-Puja season was lean last year. This year, the rush is very much there. A sizeable section of the diners are Puja shoppers,” said Sudesh Poddar, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India.