Kishore Amati
The past few months, close to almost a year
actually, has been rather rough on the tourism sector and its direct beneficiary
– the hospitality and nightlife industry in Goa. The influx of tourists has
been unpredictable and inconsistent, leaving the restaurants and bars, pubs,
nightclubs, etc across the state in a state of constant alert, not knowing what
to expect next. Koi Asian Dining opened in Calangute about two and a half years
ago. In this tenure, the property has already witnessed two seasons and is
gearing up for the third this year. While Koi enjoys a healthy clientele of
people mostly from Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Gujarat and Delhi, it also enjoys
patronage of the locals, especially the armed forces crowd that live in Goa,
courtesy a 15 per cent discount on food, as the owners, Aziz Lalani and Shefali
Gandhi, believe it is their little way of saying thank you. The duo says,
“Business in the monsoons would have been better if we did not have so many dry
days, that too on long weekends. With the 10 pm rule and all the other
restrictions that are being put, we don’t know what to expect. Even though Koi
is a fine dine, the overall tourism will get affected.”
The above should not come as a surprise as
Koi, being situated along the northern beach belt, naturally makes it a haunt
that is easily accessible by the tourists. But for other business
establishments located, say, in the capital city, adopting a similar business
strategy may prove to be a disaster. Gautam Bakhale, one of the three partners
who own properties such as Tao – an Asian restaurant, and Taverna – a local
pub, in Panjim, apart from their flagship property, Cohiba Bar and Kitchen in
Sinquerim, says, “We have always focused on getting local patronage; Cohiba was
built with the love of the locals. Monsoons are always good for us and Goa
being a 365-day holiday destination, one has to be ready all year round. The
locals are our main clients and tourists always love to be where the locals
are. This strategy works the best for us for all our properties.”
Things down south have their own tale to
narrate. Contrary to the situation until a few months ago, where the locals
used to travel to the northern part of the state for a good time, things have
drastically changed, thanks to a few business establishments that have been
successful in containing the local population in the south itself. Barely two
months of being in operation, Uzzo Grill & Café in Colva is creating quite
a stir with its great food and regular live gigs. The place is mostly
frequented by locals and very few tourists, and according to Jonathan
Fernandes, one of the partners of the property, “The plan is to cater to the
locals and later during the season, target the tourists too.” Speaking on
behalf of another property that has managed to win over the locals, Donovan
Vaz, Proprietor, Firefly Goan Bistro Bar in Benaulim, says, “The monsoons have
always been a good season, especially since we don’t close during this period.
Business has always been good! The season always brings a different crowd which
is always welcome. We don’t ever target only tourists. What most people in the
business don’t realise is that if you focus on the tourist crowd then you’re
limiting yourself only to six months in a year, that’s why I’m really thankful
that we have such a strong local client base.”
So there you have it – properties located
along the northern beach belt are happy with the attention that they are
getting from the tourists and are happier to get local patronage. Whereas, the
business establishments located in the capital city and some along the southern
beach belt feel that a strategy that is somewhat opposite of their northern
counterparts works the best for them. The season is yet to kick in and everyone
seems to be ready.
