Hospitality industry suffers as raids drive away foodies

Restaurant association, assistant commissioner say SOPs yet to be finalised

PESHAWAR:

Around 34 hotels and restaurants have been shut down or sold after constant district administration raids dealt a heavy blow to their reputation. These establishments either lost their customer base or their money in doling out fines for food infractions.

Taking the names of some prominent hotels which closed down after raids, Frontier Hotels and Restaurant Association President Khalid Ayub told The Express Tribune most establishments have changed hands twice. These hotels included Green Huts, Grill-31, Burger Night, Celeste Restaurant, and Zamindar Hotel, among others.



Ayub said the original owners were compelled to sell to second and third parties, as they could not afford to shoulder the loss.

And according to Ayub, crackdowns on hygiene and standards were not the first setback for food outlets. “The business community, including the hospitality industry, already had to contend with militancy and extortion.” He added up till a few months ago, most businessmen were periodically being extorted and they did pay up to save their lives and businesses.

The association president argued if the government wanted to develop the industry, it first needs to promote it and then establish standard operating procedures.



New SOPs

Recently, the district administration devised SOPs for hotels and restaurants in the city. Appreciating this move, Ayub said the hospitality industry was kept in the loop.

On September 20, the district administration announced the introduction of regulations and SOPs to maintain standards and hygiene at eateries. But the SOPs have not been finalised yet. Many hotel managers confirmed they have not received any document outlining or formalising new regulations.

The ABCs of kitchens

The new SOPs will reportedly delineate a code of conduct of hotel administrations, employee regulations, and hygiene and kitchen regulations. Hotels will be divided into categories from A to F and the abovementioned criteria will be applied according to each respective hotel’s category.



A five-page draft of SOPs had everything but a section of the kinds of fine with the amount that could be levied. Ayub said restaurant and hotel owners had not objected to the draft but did not want the SOPs to deal with the fee for each of
the infractions.

Final stages

“The SOPs are in their final stages of being formalised,” said Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Sheikh. The document will be issued in about a fortnight. “Time is being taken to make sure all technicalities are addressed, no loopholes are left; not even a minor deficiency.” According to the AC, the hospitality industry was kept abreast of the draft throughout.

No eatery too small

Sheikh said all food places were being checked without any discrimination. He added international chains, national chains, local hotels and restaurants were all being scrutinised for standards. “We have sealed kitchens of some hotels and imposed fine on others,” he told The Express Tribune. “Places were only allowed to reopen after they gave an undertaking that things would be in order in future.”



Foods that don’t touch

The assistant commissioner said food joints were often caught storing food items that should not be kept together for fear of contamination in one freezer.

The lack of hygiene of staff, utensils and state of affairs in the kitchen were some of the reasons restaurants and hotels were fined or their kitchens sealed. He added the district administration did not aim to harass the hospitality industry or business community, but was focusing on providing safe and quality service to consumers.

The Express Tribune contacted several international and national eateries for comments, but they all declined to share their views on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2015.