Kolkata restaurant alcohol limits have been introduced at several city establishments during the puja season, with orders capped at four 60ml pegs to discourage drunken behaviour and reduce the risk of drink-driving. The Hotel and Restaurants’ Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) has asked its member restaurants to implement the measure.
The rule allows customers to order either four small pegs or three large pegs, depending on the restaurant’s serving sizes. Staff members have also been instructed to screen patrons and alert managers if a customer insists on ordering beyond the limit.
Sudesh Poddar, president of HRAEI and owner of Songhai-Manthan and MS Bar & Lounge, said some restaurants had already adopted the practice with positive results. “Our staff have been instructed to screen drinkers. In case someone insists on a fifth one, the waiter is supposed to call the manager. It’s his discretion to allow him half a peg more but not a large one,” he said.
Restaurants are also encouraging customers not to drive after drinking. Some establishments are arranging drivers and cars through apps, while others are using posters and WhatsApp campaigns to promote responsible drinking and discourage drink-driving.
Anjan Chatterjee, chairman and managing director of Specialty Restaurants, which operates outlets including Mainland China, Oh! Calcutta, Cafe Mezzuna and Hoppipola, said his company would follow the restriction. “We encourage responsible drinking. This will ensure that our patrons have a good time and go back safely,” he said.
Chapter 2 on Southern Avenue has been running a campaign against drink-driving for three years, according to owner and co-founder Shiladitya Chaudhury. He said the restaurant screens customers and stops serving anyone found to be inebriated. As a family restaurant, the establishment has rarely encountered customers insisting on a fifth peg, he said.
Several restaurants on Park Street told the Times of India that they had been following the four-peg practice unofficially, although they had not received a formal request. Siddharth Kothari of Peter Hu said alcohol orders generally did not exceed two or three pegs per person among its family-oriented clientele. He added that staff had previously stopped inebriated people from entering the restaurant.
The measure’s implementation could vary between establishments because the restriction is based on association guidance and managerial discretion rather than a reported citywide regulatory order. A further challenge is tracking consumption when customers move between restaurants. Anirban Sengupta, co-chapter head of the National Restaurants Association of India and owner of WhatsUp Café on Southern Avenue, said screening could be more important than simply limiting the number of pegs served at one venue.
The restaurants’ next steps during the puja season will involve staff screening, refusal of service to visibly inebriated customers, promotion of alternative transport and managerial decisions on requests beyond the stated limit.
