Menus Shrink At Food Outlets, Hostels, PGs, Cafeterias

Hyderabad: Food outlets, office cafeterias, hostels and paying guest accommodations across parts of the city are operating with limited menus following the ongoing shortage of commercial LPG cylinders.

Several cafeterias, particularly in IT hubs such as the Financial District, Madhapur and Gachibowli, have curtailed food options and are serving only items that require less fuel. Employees said that during lunch hours many cafeterias are offering only basic meals such as rice, dal and curry, prompting several workers to bring food from home.

Food outlets have begun shifting from LPG to electric stoves to manage the shortage. Some establishments have also increased prices of food items to offset rising operational costs.

At Begum Bazaar, the management of Sham Singh Chat Bhandar said electric stoves had been installed to cope with the shortage. The outlet, which has used coal stoves since the 1970s, has also added another coal-based stove to maintain operations.

Udipi restaurants said the crisis has significantly increased their expenses. Raghawendra, who runs an Udipi hotel, said the establishment was spending nearly ₹6,000 more than usual each day due to the LPG shortage.

“We cannot raise prices abruptly as we are long-standing establishments, but costs are steadily rising,” he said, adding that several smaller food outlets and pushcarts had already increased prices.

Paying guest accommodations and hostels have also cut down items such as dosa, chapati and puri from their menus to conserve fuel. In some places, tea and coffee services have been temporarily stopped, with kitchens focusing only on basic meals.

Meanwhile, reports of black-market sales of commercial LPG cylinders have emerged, with prices ranging between ₹3,000 and ₹4,500 depending on demand.

Some hotels and food outlets have also begun using firewood and other traditional cooking methods to keep their kitchens running during the shortage.