IPL fever boosts bar and pub business amid sweltering heatwave, hoteldealers.in

  • Vijaylakshmi by Vijaylakshmi
  • 7 months ago
  • Business
  • 0


As the Indian Premier League (IPL) enters the playoffs (elimination) stage, bars, pubs and cafes are capitalising on a surge in interest among fans. The ongoing heatwave means a large number of cricket enthusiasts are gravitating toward air-conditioned comfort to avoid having to sweat it out in sweltering stadiums, executives said.

Bars and pubs said they are rolling out live screenings, trying to replicate a stadium-like atmosphere with curated sports menus, cocktails, beer buckets and staff dressed in IPL jerseys. Some are even providing team apparel and merchandise.

To be sure, elections in Mumbai (May 20) and Delhi-Gurgaon (May 25) will mean alcohol-free dry days around those dates in those regions but executives said they expect to make up for that in other states. Besides, folks may be drawn by the group-watching vibe even without the booze, they said.
“Sports bars that rely heavily on alcohol sales may experience a slight dip in revenue through the earlier matches,” said Abhilash Menon, director at Studs Sports Bar & Grill. “But even then, we expect people to still come to watch the matches, not just for alcohol but also for food and other drinks. Overall, the IPL excitement should bring in a lot of people even with the dry days.”

Constituencies go dry two days before polling and on election day itself. In Delhi for example, the period extends from 6 pm on May 23 to 6 pm on May 25. To be sure, the semifinals start May 21, which means Mumbaikars can be accompanied by their favourite tipple through to the final stages of the tournament. The final will be played on May 26 in Chennai.

“I’ve found the IPL to be increasingly high scoring. As it reaches the playoff stages, we are expecting more fans at our bars,” said AD Singh, MD of the Olive group of restaurants, which operates Olive Bar & Kitchen, Monkey Bar and SodaBottleOpenerWala.

“At Social, we are positioning ourselves as the #DoosraStadium,” said Riyaaz Amlani, MD at Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality, which operates Social and Smoke House Deli. During IPL 2023, the chain had seen a 20- 30% surge in order volumes.

Monkey Bar, Olive, Social, Yes Minister, Beer Cafe, Tap Room, Jamie’s Oliver, Whisky Samba, Studs Sports Bar, The Sassy Spoon and Baraza Resto Bars are among those leveraging the IPL’s final two weeks. “Apart from live screenings, we are creating spaces for team versus team, as the IPL enters the knockout stages,” said Ashish Kapur, promoter of Whisky Samba and Wine Co.

The 10-team tournament started on March 22 and ends May 26. Executives said they are stepping up the IPL buzz at their outlets based on the numbers in previous years. The screenings are a “fusion of sports and gastronomy,” said Jasper Reid, founder of Dolomite Restaurants, which operates Jamie’s Oliver’s Kitchen and Pizzeria.

Bookings are filling up fast, with many reserving tables well in advance, said Miten Shah, director at Ambros World Foodsowned Studs Sports Bar & Grill, a Mumbai-based sports bar that has outlets in 11 cities.

“With the excessive heat, it’s not easy to sit through a match in the stadiums. As a result, we have witnessed a significant increase in footfall as enthusiasts prefer the cooler environments of our bars for match viewing with friends and families,” said Rahul Singh, chief executive of pub chain The Beer Cafe, and senior vice president, pubs at Bira 91.

Yes Minister Bowling, Bar & Kitchen, located at New Delhi’s Essex Farms, has “mega guzzler cocktail menus” as well as in-house celebrations and performances tailored to the IPL, said chief executive Dhruv Anand Goyale.

    <!–

  • Updated On May 18, 2024 at 04:00 PM IST
  • –>

  • Published On May 18, 2024 at 04:00 PM IST
  • <!–

  • 3 min read
  • –>

Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals

Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis.

Download .App

  • Get Realtime updates
  • Save your favourite articles

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==


Scan to download App
ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==



Source

Join The Discussion

Compare listings

Compare
Verified by MonsterInsights