Tuesday blues: Midweek IPL final stumps eateries and bars

Bars, cafes, clubs, and restaurant chains are rolling out promotions and deals to cash in on the Indian Premier League (IPL) final, but some said Tuesday’s religious customs – when many North Indians abstain from alcohol and non-vegetarian food – could put a dent in sales.

“Being a Tuesday, we’re expecting a 35-40% increase in sales,” said Zorawar Kalra, managing director of Massive Restaurants, which operates Farzi café and Pa Pa Ya bistro and bar. “Had it been some other day, we would have hoped for a higher increase.”

Chief of a pan-India resto-bar said, “Not only is it a Tuesday, but also one of the finalist teams has a large North Indian fan base. While a weekend IPL final draws up to 100% increase in sales, we are hoping it’s not too much of a dampener because of the Tuesday factor.”


Punjab Kings will play Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Tuesday’s IPL final. Whoever wins will be lifting the trophy for the first time.

Executives at most chains, however, remain confident that there would be a significant surge in dine-ins on Tuesday, compared to regular weekdays.

“We are seeing encouraging advance bookings and are expecting Tuesday to be like a weekend, with a 35-40% increase in dine-in sales as opposed to a regular weekday,” said Vikrant Batra, founder of Cafe Delhi Heights.

This is only the fourth IPL T20 tournament in 18 years when the final is not on a weekend.

The cricketing event was suspended for about a week midway on account of the India-Pakistan border tensions. The final was originally scheduled for May 25, a Sunday.

Priyank Sukhija, chief executive of First Fiddle Restaurants that operates Thanks & Beyond, Lord of the Drinks and Diablo among others, expects around 200% uptick in sales compared to a regular Tuesday, which is usually slow.

“Yes, there are people who abstain from non-vegetarian food on a Tuesday, but most people drink,” he said. “And we are expecting big numbers considering it's the IPL final.”

Sukhija said his outlets are installing big screens in high-footfall zones such as Connaught Place and Aerocity in Delhi.

Eesha Sukhi, founder of The Bluebop Cafe in Mumbai, said she is anticipating a 30% surge in sales with a series of consumer deals.

Quick commerce platforms, on their part, are running deals for traction from consumers watching the match from their homes or office late nights.

Swiggy’s 10-minute food delivery app Snacc, for example, has sent out mailers to its subscribers for ‘flash sales’ on the match day.