Guwahati restaurants brace for LPG crunch, explore ways to keep kitchens running

Guwahati, Mar 13: With rising concerns over a possible shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders linked to ongoing tensions in West Asia, several restaurant owners in Guwahati have begun expressing apprehension about how the situation could impact their businesses in the coming days.

Although Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has assured that the supply of domestic LPG remains stable, restaurant owners who largely rely on commercial LPG cylinders say they are already experiencing difficulties in procuring supplies.

Navanil, a partner at Fatbelly, said suppliers are no longer able to provide cylinders as readily as before, forcing the restaurant to seek alternatives.

“The problem is rising slowly and suppliers are not able to provide LPG the way they used to earlier. We are managing by sourcing from different places, but we have now started shifting some operations from gas to electrical equipment,” he said.

The restaurant has also begun preparing contingency plans to keep operations running if the situation worsens.

“Our outlets are operational as of now. In case the situation becomes extreme, we have made backup arrangements. We are arranging firewood and have set up a base kitchen where noodles and rice can be prepared in bulk and distributed to outlets. Other items will be cooked in the restaurants using electrical equipment so that the outlets don’t have to shut down,” he added.

For some restaurant owners, however, the situation is already becoming worrying.

Pritam, owner of Hello Folk, said his restaurant currently has only a limited stock of LPG cylinders and has been struggling to procure more.

“Thankfully, I have two LPG cylinders in stock, which is why my restaurant is still operational. I have been trying to get new cylinders for the last three to four days but haven’t had any luck. If I don’t get them within the next two to three days, my business may have to shut down,” he said.

Despite the uncertainty, he remains hopeful that the supply situation will stabilise soon.

Meanwhile, some eateries in the city say they have not yet faced immediate difficulties as they had pre-ordered their cylinders before concerns about shortages began to surface.

“At the moment, my restaurant is not directly affected because I had pre-ordered LPG cylinders earlier. However, if someone places an order now, they might face difficulties since there don’t seem to be many LPG cylinders available in stock,” said Atanu Sarma, owner of Aroha Brew & Sip Café.

He added that if the situation escalates, restaurants may have to adjust their operations.

“We may have to restrict certain menu items that take longer to prepare or operate during specific hours when customer footfall is highest. These steps would only be taken if the situation becomes extreme,” he said.

Another popular restaurant in Guwahati, BLR Express, has posted on social media that its kitchen hours are temporarily being changed due to the ongoing LPG cylinder supply disruption.

“Please note: Due to the current LPG supply disruption, our kitchen hours are temporarily changing.

New hours: 12 PM – 11 PM. Thanks for your support and patience while the gas situation sorts out,” the BLR Express social media post stated.

For now, restaurants across the city continue to operate normally, but many owners say they are closely watching developments and preparing contingency plans to ensure their kitchens keep running.