Bar owners in Bangalore say ‘No’ to extra hours, disappoint party animals

The high-spirited plans of new year eve party are likely to end in a big disappointment for thousands of revellers in Bangalore.

Those who are already celebrating the extension of a deadline for serving booze in bars till 1am on December 31 are in for a rude shock as most of the bars have said ‘No’ to the extension offer.

The imposition of special license fee for extending the deadline up to 1am on December 31 has played spoilsport for both bars and the revellers.

“The special licence fee, which works out to about Rs6,000 for bars for extending the deadline by just 90 minutes, is too hefty and makes no sense,” said president of Bangalore Wine Merchants Association, Honagiri Gowda.

“We will have to generate a business of over Rs60,000 within that 90 minutes to make it profitable and it is just impossible in ordinary bars and restaurants. Bangalore has about 2400 wine stores, bars and restaurants. Even 5% of them are not interested in extending the deadline. Apart from paying additional licence fee, we will have to pay ‘mamool’ to the cops and take care to handle brawls of the revellers. We are happy to pull down the shutters as usual at 11.30pm,” added Gowda.

Only clubs, star hotels, resorts and some high-end discotheques and pubs have shown interest in getting special licence to allow the revellers to have a blast till 1am.

“It befits them, as they are allowed to charge a hefty entry fee in the name of New Year dance or dinner package. The entry fee touches up to Rs10,000 in some places per couple, which is highly profitable. But it will not work out for small-time bars and pubs,” said Lokesh Gowda, manager of Kiran Bar and Restaurant in Ramamurthy Nagar.

With an overwhelming majority of city bars deciding to pull down the shutters as usual at 11.30pm, time is running out for Bangaloreans to change their plans to have a real New Year blast well past midnight.