IPOH: To adapt to new norms under the movement control order, many eateries here have switched to deliveries and takeaways.
These restaurants have seen at least a 50% drop in demand for Chinese New Year reunion dinners as dining in is not allowed under MCO 2.0.
New TS VIP Restaurant chief operating officer Jacky Hee said he was thankful that there were still orders for food coming in, adding that it was about survival now.
“It (last year’s MCO) was really a new experience for us as we needed to change with the times. We started taking orders two months ago, ” he said in an interview.
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“We are not even thinking about making a profit and are just hoping to have sufficient business to be able to pay the staff and our bills.
“For now, business is not as bad as I’ve expected and I hope to have the continuous support of my customers, ” he said.
Besides self pick-up by customers, Hee uses taxi drivers as well as his own staff to deliver orders.
“Any commission from the delivery will go to them.
“Customers who order from our set menu will get free delivery, while those ordering a la carte will need to pay RM20 as delivery fee.
“We are also limiting the choices from our ala carte menu to prevent wastage or losses as not all items can sell, ” he added.
De Mouth Cuisine owner Debbie Chan said it was also doing delivery and takeaways as business had been severely affected.
Chan said since last year, many people had started their own home cooking business to eke out a living, compounding the adverse impact on the food and beverage industry.
“There are also those who order and buy food from their friends, so it’s really a case of ‘more cooks than customers’ now.
“There are also more choices now as people can order non-Chinese cuisine for their reunion dinner.
“Business has been mediocre, but I am thankful that there are still people ordering from us.
“Apart from the set menu or a la carte items, I also do personal bento sets for delivery or takeaway, ” she added.
Restoran Kok Thai (Tasek) owner Ku Swee Hoong said considering the current situation, he had been getting a decent number of orders for reunion dinner sets and traditional poon choy dish.
“Thankfully, people still need to eat and there are even some people from Kuala Lumpur ordering our sets to be delivered to their parents here.
“I really hope the Covid-19 pandemic can be over soon as everyone in the industry is finding it hard to survive.
“We are just hoping that we can survive these tough times, ” he added. - Star
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