The Cricket World Cup final slated for Sunday has sent Kolkata’s restaurants and hotels into a tizzy as they get ready to make the match day special for their visitors with fancy arrangements and giant screens for live telecast.
On Sunday, India will be facing Australia in the World Cup final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
According to restaurant and hotel owners, they expect a full house on the match day. Sudesh Poddar, president of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) who also owns restaurants, said many eateries will be giving special offers to their customers for the day. “Giant screens have been installed in all our establishments. A special combo offer will be there for our customers on Sunday,” said Poddar.
Places such as BJ’s Sports Restrau & Lounge and Five Mad Men have also installed giant screens to telecast the match live. “On other match days, people usually come to the restaurant after the first innings and watch the rest of the match over drinks. On Sunday, there will be a rush since the afternoon,” said the spokesperson of a popular sports bar in Kolkata.
At Beadon Street, a huge screen has been installed for a live telecast with sitting arrangements for around 100 people. “We want to recreate the atmosphere of a stadium . You don’t get to see moments like these very often,” said 35-year-old Debargha Dey, a local resident.