Bengaluru Restaurants Plan to Impose Fines on Customers for Prolonged Table Occupancy

Written by Sathvi G Bhat “This facility is only for dine-in purposes, not for real estate/political discussions. Please understand and cooperate.” Display boards with such messages are common in Bengaluru restaurants to discourage prolonged table occupancy. But this time, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Owner’s Association is going a step ahead and is planning to penalise such patrons with Rs 500 to Rs 1000. Although no law permits hoteliers to impose such fines on their customers, the controversial move is being discussed at their meeting. In a recent meeting over how to ‘manage’ the patrons who use restaurants as unofficial boardrooms for real estate deals and political discussions, the association has proposed a “table charge” system. An owner at a hotel in Kengeri said, “Three or four people come and order 2/3 or 3/4 coffee or tea to discuss real estate. They will sit discussing it for more than 45 minutes. On the other hand, there will be customers waiting. It is an everyday affair,r and how many times can we tell them. They are locals, and we cannot fight with them.” Under this plan, individuals who refuse to vacate the premises and continue to occupy seats for extended periods, engaging in private discussions, could be fined between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. Select hotels in the city have already begun displaying signs stating that they follow a strict no-discussion policy. PC Rao, president of Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Owners Association, told The Indian Express , “They take up space in the hotels and also ruin the atmosphere, holding up tables for a long time and creating disruption during peak hours. If we let this go on, it will be as if we are encouraging this action. We are proposing this action for both the safety of the customers and the hoteliers.” The move targets individuals who sit at tables for extended periods to conduct informal business meetings or discussions, usually related to politics or real estate, long after finishing their meal. Sathvi G Bhat is an intern with The Indian Express.