LAHORE: A delegation of the Restaurants Association, led by Nisar Chaudhry, visited the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and met its President Faheemur Rehman Saigol to raise concerns over challenges facing the sector, particularly strict restrictions on operating hours.
The delegation included Hardee’s CEO Usman Ashraf, Rina’s Kitchen CEO Ammar Mohsin, Cheezious CEO Imran Ejaz, Cotham CEO Ahmed Shafiq, Bambo Union CEO Raza Ahmed, Cafe Aylanto CEO Fawaz Yousaf and Mandarin Kitchen CEO Haroon Monno, along with other prominent business figures.
During the meeting, the delegation said the current curbs on business hours have become the most pressing issue for the restaurant industry and are significantly affecting operations. They noted that Pakistan’s hospitality sector relies heavily on dine-in services, which account for around 70-80 per cent of total business, much of it concentrated during dinner hours.
According to the delegation, the requirement to close restaurants by 10pm effectively ends business by 9pm, as serving the final customer, completing meals and processing payments typically takes at least an hour. This results in the loss of peak trading hours and a substantial decline in revenue.
They added that a restaurant’s viability depends on table turnover. Establishments with a capacity of 70-150 customers need to achieve full occupancy three to four times to remain profitable. However, time restrictions have made this unfeasible, forcing businesses to operate well below capacity.
Saigol said many policy decisions are made without adequate stakeholder consultation, creating uncertainty and discouraging investment. He called for the restaurant sector to be recognised as a formal industry to ensure proper representation in policymaking.
He also urged the Punjab government to relax business hours and allow restaurants to operate until at least 11pm. He cited Sindh’s approach, where business hours are considered more practical and businesses are given sufficient time to wind up operations.
He warned that without immediate corrective measures, the restaurant industry could face irreversible losses, with negative implications for employment, the wider economy and the country’s soft image.
