Thailand
Cambodia: F&B industry concerned as curfew measures take hold once again
The food and beverage industry has reacted with concern to the government’s decision to impose a curfew in the country’s major cities, along with restaurant closures and bans on alcohol sales for the next two weeks.
The restrictions were announced by the government on Wednesday night. They have been brought in to stop the spread of the Delta variant of the Coronavirus. The regulations will last until Aug 12 and include a 9pm to 3am curfew, the reimposition of red, orange and yellow zones to restrict movement in high-risk areas, the closure of alcoholic beverage outlets and the suspension of dining-in at restaurants.
“It’s a deeply unfortunate situation for our industry,” said Chief Operating Officer of S Liquor Mike Vongskyeo, which offers alcohol collection and delivery from five outlets in Phnom Penh. “While we have all tried our best to comply with all regulations, this latest round of restrictions will have a deep impact, not just for the alcohol industry but for hospitality as a whole. Just when we seem to be taking one step forward, suddenly we take two steps back.
Let’s hope that the numbers drop soon, and the industry as whole can start to recover again.”
The owner of a bar and restaurant on Phnom Penh’s Street 308 said the announcement was ambiguous and businesses will suffer as a result.
“No one seems to be clear. What they say, what they say in English, what they mean and what will actually be enforced could be entirely different things,” said the man, who wished to remain anonymous.
Bruno Van, vice president of the Cambodia Hotel Association said, “The hotel industry is one that combines accomodation, event venues and food and beverages all in one place. Any restrictions or suspension related to the above businesses will negatively impact a hotel’s ability to sustain itself financially. Without sustainable income from foreign travellers, hotels depend mainly on domestic comsumptiont to survive . There is no easy way.”
The curfew and dining-in ban could prove to be a boon for some businesses though.
Phnom Penh-based NHAM24 delivered meals and groceries throughout the May lockdown and says its drivers have the documentation needed to continue deliveries and pass through police roadblocks during current curfew hours.
“With people forced to eat in, we expect a significant boost to the number of orders across the board,” said NHAM24 Head of Marketing Simon Lam.
“We are very well prepared to handle much higher volume.
“Since the last lockdown we invested greatly in new rider recruitment and increased capacity nationwide and are well positioned to continue delivering food and essentials to everyone.”
Lam said a ban on alcohol will have little effect because it makes up only a small proportion of total deliveries.
As for food shortages from panic buying, Lam says he doesn’t see a problem.
“We don’t stockpile necessities, apart from at our NHAM24 Fresh online supermarket, where we have a well-established supply of groceries, most of which have long expiration dates,” he revealed.
“We believe the availability of food and groceries will not be affected by the curfew.
“However we expect to see many restaurants on our platform reducing their opening hours, with fewer choices during the curfew at night,” he said.
NHAM24 operates in nine Cambodian cities including Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Battambang.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50904573/fb-industry-concerned-as-measures-take-hold-once-again/