Hundreds of bars and popular nightspots were forced to shut down in April owing to Supreme Court’s judgment of banning liquor shops and bars on important highways in the city. The recent change in judgment has brought smiles on the faces of socialites and party-goers. The owners of hotels and pubs who had planned to relocate because of the excessive losses are now on a happy high because of the good news!
General Manager of Park Hyatt, Ms Gozde Eren shares, “Although we are still waiting for the confirmation to renew the license, we welcome this decision. The last four months were very difficult for us, and many other luxury brands. The most challenging part of it was about explaining to every international customer about the situation. Dinner, social gatherings and important events went down in number because of the ban. Chennai’s nightlife is going to come back with a bang now!” She adds, “We don’t want excessive drinking or underage drinking. A gourmet meal matched with the right wine is a brilliant combination and we want our customers to experience that.”
Talking about the domino effect that the ban had, fashion designer Vivek Karunakaran reveals, “It wasn’t just the hotel industry that was affected. The decision took a huge toll on the entertainment industry on the whole. There are many ways to curb excessive drinking. The parties in the industry revolve around alcohol.” He also states that the event management industry, fashion industry and wedding planners will profit well after a long gap.
When asked about the change in the city’s nightlife scene, model and party lover Pradaini Surva shares, “When something is extreme, we look to go around it or try to escape it. Such was the case in the liquor ban. The objective was to prevent excessive drinking, but shutting down so many bars and pubs in the city didn’t help. The four months had really dull nights with less partying. I believe that the hotels can take responsibility about their customers who want to drive after drinking. They can maybe arrange cab facilities and enforce rules on ‘Don’t drink and drive’.” The socialite also adds, “Bengaluru introduced a new initiative where the pub drinkers could dial up a cab service and be dropped home. Such programmes could be introduced in Chennai; it’ll also provide job opportunities for many.”
Resident DJ of the popular Persian nightspot Pasha, DJ Karthy talks more about the revival of the party scene. “Having gotten used to playing music regularly every week, the last four months were just freelance-playing and Djing at rare events. Chennai is a city that is widely known for its party culture. Not seeing pub-goers grooving to my music, was what I missed the most. But it is going to be better than before. The nightlife is in the phase of a big resurgence that we all welcome!”
