The strike called by hotels and restaurants across India on Monday to protest against the ambiguous provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, and the Service Tax levied by the Centre on air-conditioned eateries that serve alcohol saw huge success from local and national players in Mumbai. However, MNCs chose to stay out.
Although the eateries incurred losses worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore, there was an overwhelming response to it, informed Shashikant Shetty, Secretary, Association of Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR), a Mumbai-based body.
In fact, he said the strike was 99 per cent successful in Mumbai. “The indifference by the multi-national Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chains was disappointing,” Shetty said.
However, he added that it was deliberate on their part.
“Jubilant Foodworks Ltd (the master franchisee for Domino's Pizza), McDonald's, Yum! Brands (which operates KFC and Pizza Hut) did not support us. The intention of the MNCs is mala fide. They want to wipe the smaller Indian players out,” he said.