From wood stoves to limited menus: Cooking gas shortage paralyses Kerala’s restaurant industry; 40% of hotels shut

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More than 40 percent of hotels in Kerala have closed due to a cooking gas shortage. Remaining establishments are operating using wood-burning or electric stoves. Most hotels serving Chinese cuisine have shut down. Meals that require a variety of side dishes are largely unavailable, with biryani often served as the primary alternative. Vegetarian hotels have replaced standard meals with vegetable biryani. Porotta is being cooked in bulk and sold after being stored in insulated containers. Dosa and appam are also off the menu. Furthermore, instead of snacks like karavada, ulli vada, and pazham pori, only uzhunnu vada is available with tea, while some hotels have stopped serving tea altogether.

Prominent vegetarian hotels in Thiruvananthapuram, such as Udupi and Aruna, have switched to wood-burning stoves. In Kozhikode, the Paragon Hotel has reduced its menu but continues to serve high-demand dishes. Operations at railway canteens and coffee houses have also been disrupted, with many suspending services entirely.

If the crisis persists, the workforce in the hotel sector will be severely impacted. Large restaurants that have temporarily closed are still paying their migrant workers, while medium-sized hotels are providing food and accommodation but have reduced salaries. Should the situation continue, these workers may seek alternative employment. Many workers from West Bengal and Assam are expected to return home due to upcoming elections, and hotel owners are concerned about how many will return once the crisis is resolved.

"There is concern that the hotel sector is heading toward a crisis similar to the one experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Vijayakumar, District Secretary of the Hotel and Restaurant Association.