Bengaluru: Though the Supreme Court ban on the selling of alcohol within 500 metres of the highway ended the business of more than 360 liquor shops and 18 pubs, Toit, a brewpub escaped the ban, as it was located exactly 510 metres from the National Highway 75! What a difference 10 metres can make!!
“The excise department says our pub is located at a distance of more than 500 metres from the highway, so, we did a considerably good business over the last weekend. Though the business would be as usual we are expecting good at Indiranagar,” said Mr Arun George, co-founder of Toit Brewpub.
He wasn't as lucky though with The Permit Room, a second pub that he owns which is located on Residency Road, within the 500 metres zone abutting Hosur Road.
“How can I be cheerful when one of the other pubs owned by me has got affected due to the ban? From July 1 onwards, business has been non-existent. I cannot compensate for the losses made by another pub with the pub which has, luckily, escaped the ban,” he said, gloomily.
Major parts of the bustling business districts in the central business district as well as in residential cum commercial neighbourhoods like Koramangla and Indiranagar as well as Old Madras Road have lost business running into crores in the last three days, with Pecos reporting cash sales of Rs 7,000!
