Catering business booms in run up to elections

Candidates order food by the truckloads for workers and voters alike

LAHORE: With political activities fervently underway, restaurants and catering businesses across the provincial capital have witnessed a boom. Candidates tend to order food by the truckloads for workers and voters alike.

“Usually, we provide food for weddings and other such events. However, these days we have been receiving a large number of orders from candidates and election offices,” says Usman Khokar, the owner of a pakwan located on Shalimar Road.

In fact, these days Khokar and his employees are preparing more food than usual. In order to manage the large influx of orders, the food business owner has hired extra workers while also maintaining a large stock of rice, onions, tomatoes, ghee and various spices.



“One political office orders around three to four daighs every day. These usually include chicken qourma and biryani, while special zarda is also prepared on special instructions,” revealed Jazib, the owner of a catering business, as he speaks to Express News.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) may be contesting elections against each other, but we prepare the food served at the central electoral offices of both parties, he added. “Sometimes, both the offices order the same thing,” he states.

Currently, caterers and restaurants are selling 10kg of chicken qourma for Rs4,500, 12kg of chicken biryani for Rs6,500, 12kg of plain biryani for Rs4,500 and 10kg of mutton for Rs13,500. Separately, a daigh of zarda costs approximately Rs5,500.



Despite ordering such mass quantities of food, business owners do not encourage patrons to open tabs at their establishments. “We do not allow payments to be delayed for more than a day or two,” maintained Khokar.

Nearly, 150 to 200 workers gather at our office when the food is served during the evening, revealed PML-N Candidate Coordinator Zeeshan. There is always a crowd gathered at our central office, he adds.

Rana Mubashir, the manager of PTI’s electoral office, points out that his party feeds workers breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“We also try to provide guests with proper meals and tea if they stop by the office. We are always fearful people may hold grudges against us if we do not look after them properly,” he expressed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2018.