Vijayawada residents’ love for biriyani seems to have eclipsed their fear over bird flu outbreak. Compared to other chicken main courses and dishes, the drop in demand for chicken biryani is not significant, according to convenor of Vijayawada Hotels’ Association P.V. Ramana.
His restaurant ‘RR Durbar’ is seeing a 60-70% drop in demand for chicken delicacies, with many consumers going for seafood and mutton, both of which are too pricey to be profitable for the restaurateurs. Mutton prices are going through the roof, with one kg being sold at ₹1,000.
“Chicken items remain the most profitable ones for any restaurant. We do not see much footfall in February. The festive mood that envelops December and January wears off in February as exam time nears. The bird flu dealt a final blow to all the restaurants,” said Mr. Ramana.
“However, people’s love for chicken biryani seems to have beaten their … fear of contracting bird flu through food. Sale of biryani, too, has come down, but it is a 30-40% drop,” he says.
Other major restaurants such as Sweet Magic and Khasim Bhai Royal Biryani House, too, have seen a drop in orders for chicken items from last Wednesday, with the latter witnessing a 80% drop. Silven Dum Biryani, another restaurant, has downed its shutters in view of the bird flu scare. However, at IronHill Brewery, a popular hangout for youth, there is no dip in demand.
Chicken prices have plummeted to ₹150 a kg in the city, but it does not seem to be much use for the restaurants since there is no demand. “We expect the situation to improve this weekend, thanks to the various measures being taken by the government,” said Mr. Ramana.
The government is organising ‘Chicken Melas’ across the State to encourage consumption of chicken and to remove fears from the minds of people. The mela is expected to be held in Vijayawada on February 25.
“Mutton and seafood are expensive. How long will a meat lover avoid chicken, anyway?” said Mr. Ramana, adding that it would take three weeks for them to recover fully.
It may be noted that officials have reiterated time and again that there is no harm in consuming chicken or eggs if they are properly cooked or boiled.
