Football push to footfall at restos on Super Sunday – Times of India

KOLKATA: Footfall across Kolkata’s restaurants, bars and pubs are expected to soar during the World Cup final, which will start at 8.30 pm on Sunday, an ideal time for football enthusiasts to savour the Messi-Mbappe duel over food and drinks. Seats are already booked at several restaurants and many have come up with special offers for visitors during the match, which is expected to get over by 11pm — the usual closing time for most restaurants.
All restaurants across central, east and south Kolkata could remain chock- a-block during the Argentina-France match, said Hotel and Restaurants’ Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) president Sudesh Poddar. Songhai, a restaurant owned by Poddar, will offer a free drink or a mocktail with every goal. “We expect an unprecedented rush for this World Cup has been keenly followed, largely due to Messi and now everyone wants to witness him winning the trophy. With the timing just right for it to be watched over dinner, we expect a full house,” said Poddar.
Chapter 2 at Southern Avenue has most of its tables booked in advance. Football fans can watch the match here on a giant screen even as they choose from a range of special Christmas dishes being offered. “Sunday evening could see the highest turnout since the pujas. The weather and the match time are just perfect for an outing with family and friends. The final is the perfect icing on the cake,” said co-founder and owner Shiladitya Chaudhury.
Poach–Kichen/Espresso at Lake Terrace will screen the match on its terrace. “There will definitely be a good crowd for it will be a unique open-air experience for football fans. We have a capacity for 50 on the terrace and are already getting booking requests. It should be a full house,” said owner Pawan Israni.
Oasis is probably the lone restaurant on Park Street that will be screening the match. “The match timing is perfect for a family dinner even as you watch Messi take on the might of France. We have been screening all the evening matches and the attendance has been good throughout,” said owner Pratap Darayanani.
Some like Oudh 1590, which doesn’t have TVs, have started receiving home delivery orders for Sunday evening. “Many are calling us to place orders to be delivered during the match, fearing a huge rush,” said owner Shiladitya Chaudhury.
Sports lounges, too, are accepting advance bookings for Sunday’s match and have special offers and discounts as they expect a full house. “We are already sold out for the finals and expect a cracker of a match with our patrons back at the lounge to catch the action live on Sunday evening,” said Bunty Vishnani of BJs Sports Lounge. At DugOut, a guess-&-win contest will be held with a 25% discount on the bill for predicting the winner.