“When we called our supplier today, we were told there was no Supply of LPG cylinder. I know I can work today because I have some stock. We’re trying to figure out what else we can do,” says chef Tressa Francis, who runs Coracle in Domlur, Bengaluru. “I’ve heard that supplies are restricted and controlled. But I don’t know how it works.”
She is not alone. Hoteliers, chefs and restaurateurs are in firefighting mode as they figure out how to keep their existing fuel running for as long as possible and keep customers fed until there is some clarity about how to move forward. Restaurants like Coracle get cylinders every five days. “The last time we got the cylinders was on Saturday,” says Tresa.
conflict in west asia continues, and its impact can be felt in cities across India. On Monday (March 9, 2026), the supply of LPG cylinders was restricted in many cities. Bengaluru Hotels Association issued a notice saying that if the supply is not resumed then the hotels may have to be closed..
At the moment, most restaurants say they are trying to increase the cylinders they already have while waiting for clarity on supplies. But if deliveries don’t resume soon, many accept that options will soon become limited — fewer dishes, shorter hours, or closing the kitchen doors until the gas comes back. Which may mean closures tomorrow or this weekend for some people.
Although prices have been rising by an estimated 40% for the last two weeks, according to Japtej Ahluwalia, co-founder of Chennai-based BORN (Beyond Ordinary Restaurants and Nosh) and member of the managing committee of NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India), they were managing to get cylinders. BORN runs seven restaurants across the city, including Sortad, Fufu and Double Roti, which require about 20 to 25 cylinders a day. Sources in the F&B industry, on condition of anonymity, say that till recently cylinders were available at almost double the market price. Now, even though restaurants are trying to buy them at any cost, it seems all sources have dried up.
Induction is not a viable option. Santosh Zakaria of Chennai speakeasy Madco, which usually opens in the afternoon, says they are now opening only for dinner to save on their LPG cylinders and are cutting dishes from the menu that require higher flame, and take longer to cook, like their popular bone marrow. “Induction is not an option for most of the cooking we do,” he says, adding, “Our electricity bills will also increase significantly.”
Its effect is being seen in the entire country. Zorawar Kalra, founder of Massive Restaurants, which runs brands like Masala Library, Pa Pa Ya and Farzi Café, points out that commercial LPG is the backbone of kitchen operations across India, and any disruption jeopardizes the continuity of food service for millions of people. He says, “The restaurant industry is a ₹6.6 lakh crore ecosystem and a major employer, and it is important that policy clarity ensures uninterrupted LPG supply to keep kitchens running. One day’s supply shortage will result in a loss of Rs 1,200-1,300 crore to the industry and the economy as 70-75% of the ecosystem depends on LPG.”
‘Now no stove is allowed to run idle’
In Hyderabad, Syed Irfan, owner of Subhan Bakery, says he is appointing a supervisor to monitor the use of LPG in his Indian kitchen. “For bakery products, we depend on electricity. For the rest, we are confident about the ease of management and choosing induction cooktops. The cost of the set will definitely be higher.”
However Naga Bharan, who heads five Panchakattu Dosa shops across Hyderabad, is not enthused about the inclusion. “This transformation requires a paradigm shift in infrastructure, including our power function,” he says, adding that since private commercial LPG operators have stopped supplying, they are dependent on state-run commercial LPG suppliers like Indane and HP. We are working towards optimizing our resources; For example, we are running one dosa stove instead of two. We are informing customers that there may be a slight delay in orders. Everyone is cooperating and understands the crisis. Now no stove is allowed to run idle. Earlier our dosa stoves used to remain on in anticipation of orders.”
‘High gas consumption items like Asian woks are being limited’
Japtej says, “We are currently trying to keep pace with this rapidly evolving situation. Vendors are not able to supply to us due to a new notification which has classified us as a non-essential service. We are working on optimizing the menu in the restaurants; high gas consumption items like Asian wok or even pizza are being limited and our focus is on preserving our existing gas reserves as much as possible for weekend operations which “Contributes about 40% of our revenue.”
Wherever possible, interchange of equipment is also being explored. Japtej says they are replacing the gas-powered burger griddles they are renting temporarily with electric appliances. “However, such options are only possible for select devices,” he added.
menu changes
Businesses are also considering temporarily changing their menus. Sampath T of Spicy Venue in Hyderabad, who is also a member of NRAI, says, “We can manage the existing stock of commercial LPG for a week, but everyone is working on strategies to deal with the situation. In my restaurants that mostly focus on Indian cooking, we are looking to promote more dishes that do not require prolonged use of LPG. While biryani cannot be skipped, we are looking at deep-fried Indian food at the moment. Considering stir-fry in place of side dishes, switching to induction is not an immediate full-time solution as it will require infrastructure changes and trial runs to achieve the taste required for Indian cuisine.
Food being cooked on an induction cooktop (symbolic image). Photo Credit: V Raju
New restaurants like Kadamba and Naad, which feature a mix of Indian and global cuisine, are trying to maximize the use of electrical appliances and actively promote non-Indian cuisine.
“We will now inform guests immediately when they get their menus about what is available,” says Vikas Pasri, owner of some restaurants including Little Italy, Orlo, Kadman and Naad. “Tandoor specials will remain but the rest is all about planning ahead and hoping there will be no crisis.”
‘We would prefer to close rather than increase prices’
While operating costs are rising, right now, most restaurants are absorbing the difference in prices without passing it on to customers. Vinay Gopal Manik Pradeep, manager of Mana Biryani Vindu, located on Visakhapatnam’s busy MVP Double Road, says, “We would prefer to close down rather than increase prices. We plan to make only biryani for now and will stop serving fried items and heavy starters.”
While supplies in Delhi have not been affected, Radhika Khandelwal, chef-founder of restaurants like Trouble Trouble and Kona Sandwich Shop in Delhi, says they are preparing alternatives. She says, “Even though we have four induction stoves, it doesn’t equate to the 10-burner gas range we have. We also have a grill and pizza oven that require gas.” The government had also banned coal and firewood based tandoors in Delhi-NCR to curb pollution..
This is affecting everyone from luxury hotels to tea shops in the luxurious cities of the country. R Parthasarathy has been a restaurateur for over 35 years and has been running Hotel Sri Ranga in Salem for two decades. “As a hotel industry, we have collectively seen bad times before, but this shortage of commercial cylinders is new,” he says, adding, “I am now managing lunch on wood fire, but for dinner and breakfast, I need cylinders for dosa and parotta.”
Meanwhile, chef Chindi Varadarajulu of Pumpkin Tales and Zhoyu in Chennai is finding energy efficient ways to cook. “Our breads are cooked in electric ovens, and we’ve bought some charcoal-fired stoves for staff meals and to cook larger base sauces, then we can use induction stoves to get the job done.” She also sends me a photo of Sigri, which she’s currently researching, and says, “We’re thinking of going back to the old style of cooking.”
Ghee masala roasted at Hotel Annapurna, Coimbatore. | Photo Courtesy: Shiva Saravanan S
In Coimbatore, the prestigious Annapurna Hotel Rava Onion Dosa, along with Parotta, is already off the menu. And in the next three days, if conditions don’t improve, so will India’s favorite comfort food, the ghee masala dosa. “If I remove dosa, sambar and coffee from the menu, it will cause further inconvenience to the public,” says Jegan S Damodarasamy, CEO of Annapurna Hotels. He, however, said that in an effort to save fuel, dosa will not be available from 10.30 am to 6 pm.
He adds, “When metro cities like Bengaluru have already closed restaurants, it is even more challenging for Tier II cities… At this point, I am just praying. This is the first time in 58 years that we have been open and we have not served dosa in the afternoon.”
With inputs from Prabalika M Bora, Purvaja S, K Jeshi, Barry Rogers and Nivedita Ganguly
