New Delhi: Amid disruptions in the supply of commercial LPG cylinders and the government prioritising domestic consumption, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has issued an advisory to restaurants on conserving fuel and maintaining operations.
The industry body warned that if the situation escalates and LPG availability tightens further, the restaurant sector could face serious operational challenges. “In order to safeguard business continuity, employment, and the stability of our sector, NRAI urges all members to immediately adopt the fuel conservation and operational continuity measures,” the advisory reads.
The advisory comes as several restaurants across the country are struggling with limited supplies of commercial LPG cylinders, with many eateries already shutting operations in some cities.
Immediate LPG conservation measures
The hotel body has urged members to temporarily prioritizing dishes that require lower gas usage or shorter cooking cycles while suspending or reducing items that require long simmering, deep frying, slow cooking, or multiple burners.
NRAI also asked the members to reduce gas usage during non-peak hours by consolidating prep and cooking schedules and pre-soak ingredients like rice, grains, and legumes to reduce cooking time.
Other measures that the association advised included disabling of pilot flames when not in use, batch cooking, use of pressure cooking among others.
Operational efficiency measures
On operational efficiency measures, the restaurant industry body advised the eateries on consolidation of kitchen production through central kitchens while temporarily reducing menu complexity. It also advised them to pre-prep ingredients during off-peak hours while ensuring regular maintenance of burners and pipelines to avoid inefficiencies and leaks.
The body also asked the members to optimize fryer and wok usage by avoiding partial loads and review operating hours and consider shorter hours in low-demand locations.
Alternative cooking solutions
NRAI also encouraged its members to evaluate temporary alternatives where feasible. It has asked them to use equipments that runs on electricity like electric griddles and electric fryers, combi ovens and convection ovens, electric rice cookers and steamers among others.
“Even partial migration of certain cooking processes to electricity can significantly reduce LPG dependency,” the advisory read.
Customer & business adjustments
The association has asked members to introduce a limited “crisis menus” with faster-cooking items. “Communicate transparently with customers if menu availability is temporarily affected. Limit operational hours to peak hours, preserving gas during off-peak,” it added further.
Industry collaboration
The restaurant industry body has also asked the members to coordinate with fellow restaurateurs in their locality to share best practices including bulk procurement coordination where possible. It has also asked local NRAI chapters to monitor LPG availability and report challenges to the national body.
It further said that it was actively engaging with relevant authorities to ensure that commercial LPG allocations are safeguarded. “NRAI will keep members updated as the situation evolves,” it said further.