Alcohol you later

Now that bars are back to business with the usual deadline, Mumbai is likely to drink it up. Which made us ask bar management about how they handle drunks. P.S. All stories here are true

This writer was recently at a Lower Parel restobar with friends, and, like most insufferable Instagrammers, wanted a group picture taken. But the steward politely refused. They didn’t have permission to. It turned out that an unpleasant experience had led to the decision. An inebriated customer slapped a waiter because he took a “bad picture”. The owners, we are told, ensured that he apologised later, but after much embarrassment. 

As guests, we might cock a snook at someone at the neighbouring table for drinking and showing off. For a hotelier, it’s a tricky situation to be in. “People are unpredictable when drunk. No rules of human behaviour apply. You can’t always go by the rulebook; sometimes, you have to play it by ear,” says Arvind Shetty, owner of Hotel Two Star in Kalina. At his bar, which has been around for over 30 years, Shetty has seen umpteen cases. Some, though, have been particularly memorable. “Once, we had this customer who must have weighed 150 kg. After drinking two quarters, he slumped on the seat and dozed off. Our waiters, who are incidentally all short and skinny, tried to wake him, lift him, unsuccessfully. I began to whisper in his ears, pleading, ‘Sir, please wake up. You can do it. Please.’ He groaned. By then, we were the source of entertainment for the hotel. And, after what felt like forever, he slowly hauled himself up. We got the claps 
and cheering.” 

When restaurants serve alcoholic beverages, it is often their task to ensure that their patrons are responsible drinkers. Neeraj Sharma, general manager at Folks Brewpub in Faridabad,  says that a puke bag is provided to the intoxicated guest, s/he is assigned a special caretaker to help them around and even taken to the terrace area to centre themselves. He remembers a 23-year-old woman who came to the lounge. “I remember her age only because it was her birthday. She ordered 12 shots of Bacardi, five shots of vodka and five shots of Jagerbomb, after which she became difficult to handle. As the night progressed, she began swirling around the restaurant, dancing even in the brewing chambers. We had three waiters rush in to control her. She also wanted to cut her cake with our MD, so we arranged for that. After calming her down, we somehow managed to send her home safely with her friends.” 

Gaurav Dabrai, co-owner of La La Land at Atria Mall, says handling irate customers is one thing and drunk customers quite another. Since no two people behave the same way when they are buzzed, you can never be prepared. “The golden rule is to ensure that other guests and the staff aren’t harmed on account of aggression. The most interesting challenge lies in handling youngsters, high on alcohol and dad’s money, menacingly asking us if we know who their baap is.” And no matter how furious they may be, remaining calm and courteous is their cardinal rule.

Pradeep Pruthi, managing director, My Bar Punjabi Bagh, in Delhi, says that if someone comes in drunk to the bar, they have their staff keep a close eye on them. “People tend to drink excessive amounts within a short period of time without realising the aftermath. If we notice the person has crossed their limit, we can refuse to serve them more, although very politely. In case the guest has driven down, we do not allow them to drive. We even provide a drop back home, if needed,” he adds. Pragnesh Rai, owner of Khar’s SamBar and Deepak Bar & Restaurant in Mulund, says it’s not uncommon for them to serve mocktails to guests who are sloshed and demand more alcohol. They are too drunk to realise. He says almost every hotelier will have his ammo of stories to share, more so if he happens to own a dive bar. “This actually makes for dinner table conversation back home for us.” He remembers how his father, when he began helming the Mulund bar, hired a big, tough guy with a heavy moustache, whose only job was to stand and appear intimidating, and intervene if a brawl broke out. “He was as harmless as a fly, but his presence was enough to deter patrons. He worked with us for six years, and unruly incidents actually reduced in his tenure.” Rai says the most petty reasons can sometimes trigger fights, cricket matches being one. “When my grandfather set it up in 1981, we’d get all sorts of people. Twelve years ago, we renovated the place, raised the prices slightly and did up the interiors to filter the crowd.”

Rai says every group will mostly have two kinds of people—a troublemaker and the sober sage. “Make sure you know who these two people are in every group. You’ll need one to target the other.” 

25
Legal drinking age in Maharashtra according to State Excise Department

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