Deadline ends, 1/3rd of rooftops submits bond
Times of India | 16 September 2025But if any rooftop restaurant owner approaches the KMC to submit the bond even after the expiry of the timeline, the civic body may consider the appeal, said a KMC buildings department official.
According to a civic official, around one-third of the city's 83 rooftop restaurants have so far submitted the indemnity bond, thus paving the way for the reopening of these establishments. "After carefully examining the bond, we are giving the applicants temporary permission to reopen their restaurants.
But permission is being given on the condition that the owners will abide by the SOP as declared by the task force committee on fire in three months," said the civic official.
Rooftop restaurants in Kolkata have been shut since May 2 following a spate of fire incidents.
"We will request the task force chairman to extend the date for those who are willing to abide by the fire SOP and want to submit an indemnity bond. But we need to keep a strict vigil on a few unscrupulous restaurants that may reopen their establishments without submitting the bond," said a KMC buildings department official.
Owners of rooftop restaurants said reopening a facility that has remained shut for over three months is a major challenge. "Many staffers have taken up job elsewhere. Also, regular customers have shifted to other places. Getting the staff and the customers back is a challenge," said a restaurant owner.
Roots, the popular rooftop restaurant, was the first to reopen, but footfall has not been encouraging. "Traditionally, the pre-Puja season is a lean period.
The monsoon has been an added challenge. But we are confident that people will be back during Durga Puja," the manager said.
While Roots, Romania, Hashtag, and a few others have reopened, the disruption will wipe out smaller ones, said F&B experts. Some restaurants like Soul are trying to relocate to a new establishment to conform to the norms.
"Most restaurants hire additional staff a couple of months before Durga Puja. So the staff that left the rooftop restaurants would have been absorbed elsewhere. It will be an uphill task for them to get staff back," said Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India President Sudesh Poddar.
