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The Mess, established in the 1930s, was forced to shut for a week a couple of months ago owing to the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in India in the wake of the West Asia conflict. It then operated partially. This meant that the restaurant’s famous lunch thali had not been available for three months.

The restaurant concentrated on breakfast and snacks, serving fluffy idlis, vadas, and delectable sambar, among others. The coffee remained a hit with the customers.

The restaurant requires 39 commercial LPG cylinders a month to prepare the meals.

“Everything will be back to normal,” says Moorthy, Vice-Chairman, South Indian Urban Co-Op Hostel Society, which runs the Mess. He adds that 65-100 people turn up for lunch every day. Among them are medical professionals from nearby hospitals, shoppers, students, single people who live in the neighbourhood, and regulars who have been coming here for decades.

“The LPG crisis is still continuing, but we plan to start the restaurant completely. We held a meeting of the Society and decided to increase the prices for the contractor because raw material prices have gone up,” says Moorthy, adding that they retained all the staff. “Our focus is maintaining the quality of the food,” he adds.

A mound of rice, roti, dal, curd, different types of bhajis, and crispy, crunchy papad are among the attractions of the unlimited lunch thali, served from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm. That the bill – Rs 120 per thali – didn’t pinch the pocket was yet another reason for people queuing up for a place at one of the sunmica-topped tables.

The South Indian Mess is among many well-known and popular restaurants that closed, partially or completely, in the wake of the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders in India. As the war drags on, many restaurant owners are trying to get back on their feet. A member of the Pune chapter of the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) says these closures prove that no prior information or intimation was given to restaurant businesses.

“This reflects the poor government planning. When historic restaurants shut down, reduce the menu, or increase prices, there is concern in the larger industry. Restaurants are very cash flow-intensive businesses; daily cash flow takes care of expenses. With the commercial LPG crisis, the entire chain was broken,” says the NRAI member.

The owner of a restaurant that also closed a branch says that re-opening comes with the challenge that “your customers have gone somewhere else”. “When you reopen, how do you get those customers to come back to you? The gestation period increases before you can get it running again. It’s like starting all over again because the competition is so intense,” the owner adds.