LPG Crisis: Hotels Across Bengaluru Shut or Switch to Firewood Cooking Amid Gas Shortage

A commercial LPG shortage in Bengaluru forced many hotels to shut on Sunday, disrupting weekend dining plans. Some restaurants switched to firewood stoves, while others raised prices as fish vendors and businesses felt the impact.

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Bengaluru: Many Bengalureans who stepped out for a special Sunday non-veg meal were in for a big disappointment. The reason? A massive shortage of commercial gas cylinders forced many hotels across the city to shut their doors.

But some hotels got creative. They went back to basics, firing up firewood stoves to make sure their customers didn't go home hungry.

For instance, people who went to Prakruthi Family Restaurant in Rajajinagar for its famous ₹199 special biryani were met with closed doors. The restaurant had to shut down on Saturday evening itself due to the cylinder supply disruption, and it remained closed on Sunday.

Over at Vyalikaval, Gundappa Donne Biryani hotel didn't let the gas crisis stop them. They switched to cooking with firewood and made sure their menu wasn't affected. The owner confirmed that all items were available as usual for their customers.

Bettayya Hotel Also Feels the Heat

Even the well-known Bettayya Hotel on Magadi Road faced the gas shortage. Not wanting to lose their customers, the owners quickly arranged for firewood stoves. A staff member explained, 'It's a Sunday, so we get a lot of customers. We didn't want to inconvenience them, so we started cooking on firewood stoves.'

The story was similar at the famous Mayura Biryani Hotel on Magadi Road, which is also called the Mavalli Military Hotel. They too were using firewood to prepare their dishes, without making any changes to the menu.

Prices Go Up

This whole situation has also started to pinch customers' pockets. Some hotels in the city have increased the prices of tea, coffee, and other food items by ₹5 to ₹10. Staff at Hotel Prasadam in Vijayanagar said they had no choice but to increase the rates.

₹5000 for a Tonne of Firewood

With the commercial cylinder supply cut off, some hotels have turned to firewood as a solution and are stocking it up by the tonne. The price for one tonne of firewood is a steep ₹5000, and some hotels have already bought two to three tonnes. They have also spoken to firewood depot owners to ensure a regular daily supply. Prince Non-Veg Hotel in Malleswaram was seen with a large stock of firewood ready for use.

No Takers for Fish

The crisis has even affected fish vendors. Fish sellers at Shivajinagar's Russell Market complained that hotel owners, who are usually their biggest customers on Sundays, just didn't show up. 'Hotel owners usually buy a lot of fish on Sundays. But because of the cylinder shortage, they are not coming. This has hit our business very hard,' a seller said.

'20% Gas Supply Expected Today': P.C. Rao

P.C. Rao, the Honorary President of the Bangalore Hotels Association, has offered a small ray of hope. Speaking to reporters, he said, 'We expect about 20% of the gas cylinder supply to be restored for hotels from Monday.'

He admitted that a 20% supply won't solve the problem completely. 'But we are hopeful that this will eventually increase to 50%,' he added. Answering a question about price hikes, Rao stated that with around 40,000 hotels in Bengaluru, the decision to increase food prices is up to the individual hotel owners.