Winter windfall for city eateries as Jan footfall smashes last yr’s record
Times of India | 25 January 2026
Kolkata: With the chill continuing, Kolkatans have been eating out like never before. The lingering party season led restaurants and bars to line up food festivals and offers on beverages for an extended festive weekend that began with Saraswati Puja on Friday and will continue until Republic Day on Monday.
After a record-breaking crowd during Christmas and New Year, footfall was around 10% higher than last year during the first half of Jan, according to the Hotel and Restaurants' Association of Eastern India. This will continue till the temperature remains low, said restaurant owners.
Footfall refused to dip across Park Street restaurants, according to Siddharth Kothari of Mocambo, Peter Hu, and Peter Cat. "There was no let-up in footfall after we saw a record-smashing attendance during the last week of Dec. Waiting crowds remained very large. It was better than previous years so far. Saraswati Puja on Friday marked the beginning of another surge, which should continue until Monday," said Kothari.
Kwality on Park Street saw a bigger crowd than usual this month and is preparing for a "busy weekend ahead". "The surge in footfall started on Friday evening," said Tanvi Ghai of Kwality. "Saraswati Puja revellers swarmed in through the day. The next 3 days should see a consistently high footfall," said Oasis owner Paratap Daryanani.
Sales and footfall during the first half of Jan were 5% higher than last year across multiple outlets of Mezzuna, Oh!Calcutta, Mainland China, Haka, and Flame & Grill. "This indicates a modest but positive improvement in overall performance across our restaurants," said Anjan Chatterjee, founder and chairman of Specialty Restaurants, which owns the outlets.
Oudh 1590 organised a kebab festival to celebrate Saraswati Puja. "The Great Indian Kebab Festival is our tribute to the timeless craft of kebab-making and the rich culinary heritage it embodies. After extensive research, we ventured into the lesser-known gastronomic landscapes of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh and Shikhampur in Hyderabad to uncover their authentic local delicacies. Traditionally, iconic preparations such as Rampuri Gosht Seekh Kebab and Shikampuri Tandoori Crab were never part of kebab festivals, but this year they made a debut," said owner and co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury.
MS Bar & Lounge lined up a specially curated menu with live music sessions to "celebrate the Bengali Valentine's Day". "The footfall surge continues, so we are still offering the special New Year dishes, apart from offers on cocktails and alcoholic beverages. A surge in footfall is expected this weekend, which is going to be an extended one until Republic Day," said Sudesh Poddar, owner of MS Bar, Songhai, and Manthan.