Restaurants in residential areas irk locals

Supriya Khatiwada,Kathmandu, Jan. 18: The light of the kitchen is dim, however the whistles of pressure cooker and spluttering of the jeera in the frying pan make the atmosphere energetic and lively. Daal, bhaat, and tarkari are ready within a few hours, the classic Nepali meal. 

When it is the season of festivals, food becomes even more exciting. During Dashain, the most promising festival, people celebrate with mutton and a varieties of mutton dishes. The festival celebrated mostly by women, Teej — the day before, known as darr, is renowned for eating a wide varieties of dishes prepared in nearly every    Nepali home. 

Even though the Khaja ghar is not adorned with any creative themes and without enough employees, it is growing and is visited by customers; still it never experiences any kind of noise. In contrast, Sasurali Restaurant which is a family-oriented restaurant with the various adornments and creative themes is a disturbance to the nearby living settlements. Khaja ghar built in the small space is growing, while the restaurant like Sasurali which is built in the large space is creating a bad impression in front of others restaurants. Although bakery and food outlets are broadening and attracting several customers, they never witness any kind of noise. 

In the meantime, the cleanliness problem remains a serious issue in most of the eateries. 

Roshan Thapa, aged 28 who visits Nikhileshwaram Sweets located in Pepsi Cola, Kathmandu, three times a week, said, “There is dirt here and there, inside the sweet shop, even the bathrooms are dirty. The floor often remains dirty. In the morning, when people clean the floor, it feels like a hospital rather than a place to eat; it doesn’t feel like a sweet shop.”

Without the need for creative ideas or adornations, Namsewaal Bakery, situated in Pepsi Planning, Kathmandu, is firmly growing its business via cakes and coffee. Basanta Sunuwar, the owner of the bakery, states that the bakery is situated in a peaceful area, making the place peaceful for people to hang out.  

Komal Gautam, a civil engineering student and a customer of D Best Coffee situated in Town Planning, said, “I find the restroom of the cafe dirty.”

Furthermore, Syanko Katti Roll is another fast-growing food outlet with more than 52 branches. Out of 52 branches one outlet is located in Town Planning, Kathmandu. In accordance with Ishwor Adhikari, who is the owner of the Syanko Katti Roll, the outlet has also proven to be a calm and peaceful place for people to relish their food. 

Min Kumari Bista, aged 39, from Sindhupalchowk, is the owner of Bista Ji ko Khaja Ghar. The khaja ghar, located in Pepsicola, Kathmandu, is run by her and her husband. The couple started the business in 2016 and have worked for 10 long years. Over time, she has developed new recipes such as Bhuttan, Sekuwa, and Chhoila. Except these, Frywala Bhatmas is what customers appreciate the most. People of all ages visit the Khaja Ghar. 

The couple has four children, one daughter got married and left, and they are educating the remaining three daughters. The couple earns 8,000 to 10,000 rupees a day. They are able to pay the rent through their hotel business; whatever they earn is just enough to feed the family and educate the children. 

Thinking it might be a productive business, Adhikari, the manager of a family-oriented restaurant, opened Sasurali restaurant in Dibyeshwori Planning, Bhaktapur. However, Dibyeshwori Planning is mainly a residential area. 

The motive of the business has been weakened when many customers come to the restaurant mostly to drink, make noise and arguments, rather than to support the business. As per rules and regulations provided to the Sasurali Restaurant, It is not allowed to open after 9 P.M. Nevertheless, some customers stay back in the restaurant even after 9 P.M. This has highly created distractions to the nearby residents — people whine about loud conversations at late night, constant movement of vehicles, music from the loudspeakers, and discussions when staff persistently work late. 

Khatiwada is an intern at TRN.