Pub owners hoped the tournament would help sales, but Bangaloreans say it's not cricket that draws them there
Pub owners hoped the tournament would help sales, but Bangaloreans say it's not cricket that draws them there
Bar and pub owners had pinned their hopes on IPL's second season to lift their spirits, and sales.
Now that the tournament is almost over, Team MiD DAY checks out the scene at some the city's happening watering holes to see whether it really made an impact on the spirits business.
Good times rock
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Howzzat: While some places such as Hard Rock Cafe made a killing during the IPL tournament, most pubs did not see any significant change in sales |
Manager of Hard Rock Cafe Gordon Dsouza says even the recession can't dampen the spirit of a Bangalorean, who loves any form of entertainment. "Though we did see a small dip in our sales, post IPL we could say that our fortunes have changed overnight. The response from our crowd is overwhelming."
Hard Rock Cafe has even extended the 'rocking hours' from 4 to 8 pm and put up a giant projector screen to show matches. They have even launched special drinks like All spirits, Rocktails and Rocktail pitchers exclusively for the IPL season. That too at prices almost 60 per cent lower, to add more fizz to the IPL season. Dsouza adds: "Why go all the way to South Africa? The ball still spins at the Hard rock!"
Priyanka Chandrashekhar, general manager of Opus, too, says IPL has had no impact on their business. "Instead we have now decided to launch other events like Karoke and Booze and break and performances of bands which we are sure will increase our revenue."
Depressing
The scene isn't quite the same at Nyks. "Although we have conducted two parties this IPL season, the fever has not yet caught up. The last IPL season was a phenomenal success," says Carlton Royne general manager, Nyks, But he's hoping the business will be better during the semi-finals and final.
For Le Rock Cafe, on Rest house Road the IPL has led to a decrease in weekend sales as customers only prefer to sit and watch the matches without spending much. Santhosh T R the manager of Le Rock says "Our table turnovers are extremely low because of the IPL."
But Bangaloreans say a cricket isn't the only reason they go to a pub. Alexandar Koshi a retired general manager from Indian Airlines says "IPL is not the sole reason why we hang out at pubs. What draws me to a pub and a restaurant is the offer they provide."
