Hungry at midnight

Hungry at midnight
Forget clubs, restaurants are also being shut down by midnight. And 24/7 Bangaloreans don’t know where to eat
The Times of India

THE rigorous enforcement of closing times for clubs has been extended to eating places — ostensibly in the wake of the Hotel Empire brawl. Zonal DCPs have directed officers at station level that all nightlife should come to a halt by midnight. And while inspectors have been threatened with action if they fail to get these places closed, Bangaloreans in 24/7 mode are going hungry.
“What are we supposed to do if we need a late night meal?” asks adman Prasan Joshi. “We can’t all afford five-star coffee shops. The last couple of days have been really sad. This rule’s killed the spirit of this bubbling city. Soon, people will just stop going out and it’s bound to affect commerce in the long run.”
It’s not fair on a population that works 24/7, fumes adman Joel Premkumar. “It’s getting crazier by the day. They (the police) can’t keep some
brats in
check, and go about shutting the whole town down. They can’t just shut these places down. Life is just too dynamic to be diktatbound. It will affect thousands of law-abiding citizens who don’t go about beating up
people.”
But, he adds, on a practical note, if you really are serious about food and don’t mind some inconvenience, then there are a couple of joints in Shivajinagar. There are also some eateries around Tannery Road and some in Majestic.
Hotelier Asif Mohammed, who was at the receiving end of police high-handedness some time ago, for keeping his place open at 11.30 pm, says, “Places around airports, railway stations and bus stations need to be kept open. Travellers need them.” But, he adds, in the present circumstances, there’s nothing to do but obey the law. “We have to adapt to cope with the situation.”
Meanwhile, the only place where those looking for a meal past midnight can find one is at the star hotels. According to Mohan Kumar, GM of a five-star, “While our restaurants close by 12 midnight and people usually leave by 12.30, our coffee shops are open 24 hours. This is a central government requirement and is recognised by the state government.”