Restaurants and other food outlets in the federal capital ran short of space to accommodate patrons as dining halls opened after a hiatus of around five months.
People headed to restaurants and fast food outlets even on the first working day of the week.
The restaurants and all types of eateries were reopened on Monday for dine-in and experienced a rush of people particularly families at dinner time.
The eateries had been shut down as part of social distancing directives to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown on dine-in facilities was imposed in Islamabad like the rest of the country.
The restaurants, fast food outlets and other local eateries were only allowed to offer takeaway and home delivery services only.
Restaurants, resorts get govt nod to open
However, after the cases plummeted, the government has now allowed restaurants and fast food outlets to open their dining halls with standard operating procedures (SOPs). The roadside eateries commonly known as dhabas have also been allowed to serve people on table, instead of earlier restriction of ‘parcel only’.
The restaurateurs as well as the food lovers were full of joy on reopening of dining halls. Such was the influx of patrons that many visitors had to wait for their turn, as only a limited number of people were allowed at a certain time.
Muhammad Khurram Awan, who works as a manager at a restaurant, said that the nation has defeated the virus through collective efforts. “We have now come out of the difficult situation, hoping that everything would return to completely normal soon,” he added.
Awan said that although people eat food at their homes daily, there was a different delight in enjoying dining at restaurants.
Nearly all Covid restrictions set to go
Further, Aijaz Baig, Waseem, and Majid, who had come out to have dinner finally after a prolonged period, said that the coronavirus pandemic had seized all means of entertainment.
They added that the real reason behind dining out was to enjoy the ambiance, service along with the cuisines.
A waiter, Dilshad, said that he was suffering financially due to the closure of restaurants. However, he added that although the salary was not that much, the tips given by the customers against services was no less than a blessing for him.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2020.
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