Eateries in Vijaywada make a killing on long weekend

VIJAYAWADA: The restaurants and hang outs in the city are buzzing with activity during this Dasara weekend as denizens of Vijayawada are finding them as favoured spots to spend time with family and friends.

On the occasion of Dasara, the city on one side was dipped in devotion, while on the other side it witnessed a festive joy. While lakhs of devotees have thronged Durga temple, making it the most busy place, other areas and spots like Bandar Road, PVP square, Inox and eat out and hang out places also witnessed heavy crowds.

The scene at almost all the restaurants was the same - packed. People who met friends and family members during the festive weekend have made up plans to eat out with near and dear ones, as it an important part of the celebrations.

'Rarely do we get an opportunity to spend time with family members and close relations like cousins. But Dasara festival coupled with weekends and Bakrid has given us the opportunity to spend time with family members. We want to add cheer to the occasion and decided to eat out,' says V Naveen, a Vijayawada native, and a techie working in Hyderabad, who was at a restaurant along with his family members.

Cashing in on the demand and new found enthusiasm among Vijayawada denizens, many restaurants are trying to cater to the needs of people by offering various special dishes, packages and discounts on the occasion.

'The long weekend was full of activity, as a huge number of customers visited our restaurant when compared to normal days. We are offering various special dishes on the occasion. The gaming zone is only adding to the overall attraction,' said Planet Fun manager, A Kalyan.

With seemingly large number of people eating out in the festive weekend, restaurants are making brisk business. But the icing on the cake for restaurateurs is the fact that they are taking this as a positive sign.

'We have experienced an increase of twenty per cent in our visitors this Dasara. A long weekend has served as a great advantage for everyone. So people who have met their family members and friends after long time during the festival want to make it a memorable occasion and eating out is one such experience.

In fact this trend is not just a positive sign for the hospitality industry in Vijayawada, but also a sign that metro culture is catching up in the city,' summed up Ilapuram Raja, proprietor of Hotel Ilapuram.