Excitement beholds the football fans in India as the 2014 FIFA World Cup approaches, but residents of the national Capital are wary of whether they will be able to enjoy the biggest sports event of the year or not. The recent power cuts in Delhi have probably set the wrong precedent and several sports bars in town are in debt even before their businesses could take off. As strict instructions regarding power consumption have been issued by lt Governor Najeeb Jung, owners of restaurants and bars in the city have already coughed up extra money in order to keep the show up and running.
According to Tarun Jain, COO, Beer Café, all steps are being taken by them to ensure smooth telecast of the matches. “Since most of our outlets are in the malls, we have made sure that the generators are fully charged. Once the malls shut their power off, we have paid extra to make sure that their generators support our outlets. There will be no let-up in screening and people can come in and relax,” said Jain.
Some restaurants and bars have even arranged for terrace coolers where guests can sit and enjoy the match. Owner of Club Rhino in South Point Mall Gurgaon said, “Most people will come to us because they are fed up of the heat at home and probably want to grab a glass of beer. Since FIFA matches are at night, we have made special mist arrangements in our outdoor set up. We are also making sure of 24 hours generators and projectors back up.”
While restaurants in the malls are the ones that need to be extra careful about power consumption, even pubs at Hauz Khas Village are prepared for uninterrupted projection. Roost Bistro has installed immediate back up especially for the World Cup. “We have 100 per cent power backup in buildings that we operate. But still we have installed immediate backup for relevant connections like projectors and televisions along with basic lighting. This will ensure that the matches run on the screen continuously,” said owner Pranay Kumar.
Other than power arrangements, outlets are also coming up with interesting offers for the public. While Beer Café will hold continuous contests, most outlets are giving special concession on beers based on the matches being played. Restaurants are also giving pitchers, chilled beers and summer mocktails specially designed for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.