The Gazetteers Department

Hotels and Restaurants today provide to the people living apart from their families either due to transfer of services or for any other business reason, their daily requirements of food. The tendency to take tea and other snacks outside has resulted in encouraging the growth of this occupation. Restaurants are not only well dispersed in cities and towns but could be found in distantly located places.

As per the 1951 Census, the number of persons employed in 'Hotels, Restaurants and Eating Houses' was 1,106 (males 1,087, females 19). The number as per the 1961 Census was 2,121 (2,080 males, 41 females) and included persons engaged in 'services rendered by hotels, boarding houses, and other organizations providing lodging and boarding facilities '. [In 1971 there were 3095 persons working in 1038 establishments.]

In most of the villages, a tea shop is found in a small hut, serv-ing hot tea or coffee. A few, in addition to tea, also serve hot or cold beverages with eatables. Some also serve meals mostly on the rice-plate system. The establishments in rural and urban areas however differ considerably in various respects such as the state of maintenance, the prices charged, etc. Generally the get-up of a tea-shop is determined by the purse of the clientele and the locality in which it is established.

Restaurants in the rural areas are generally small in size, and not very well-equipped. The food-stuff they serve is generally cheap and could not be regarded as excellent by modern standards. They are generally situated near a bus stand or in the bazar locality. Their number in a particular place is very small and as such they do not face any competition. This may perhaps be the reason for their poor get-up and the bad quality of food items that they supply. The restaurants and tea-shops in urban areas are better equipped and try to cater to the needs of their customers as best as they can.

The common items of raw material in the tea shops in rural as well as urban areas are sugar, milk, tea, coffee, maida, rava (semolina) in addition to other items such as rice, dal, vegetables, condiments and spices in those serving meals.

The survey revealed that small tea-shops in rural and urban areas expended a sum of Rs. 40 to Rs. 80 per month on raw-materials. The expenditure of medium sized hotels varied from Rs. 600 to Rs. 800 per month. It was also found that the maximum expenditure in the district of a big hotel on the same items was Rs. 3,500 per month. In rural areas the furniture of an establish-ment was composed of benches to relax, and a few old tables and aluminium pots, brass plates and bowls, etc. The cost of furniture of a small hotel ranged from Rs. 100 to Rs. 500 where-as in the case of one medium sized hotel it was found to be Rs. 1,500. For big hotels it varied from Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,500.

The medium and big sized units in urban areas of the district had crockery of good quality and they used steel and brass utensils. They also had a few cupboards in addition to the items of furniture noted above. It was found that the fixed capital of a small tea shop or a hotel varied from Rs. 200 to Rs. 700 and in case of big sized units, it ranged between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000.

The tea-shops in the rural areas or a small tea-shop in urban areas employed only one labourer doing all kinds of odd jobs such as serving, cleaning, taking orders etc. But the personnel employed in a medium or big unit differed according to turnover and the number of clientele.

In 13 medium sized tea-shops surveyed, the number of personnel employed was 2 or 3, and in the case of 5 big sized hotels, it was 8 or 9. In the tea-shops of a larger size, different employees doing varied jobs such as the waiters, attendants, manager, etc. received different rates of wages. One such tea-shop paid a sum of Rs. 400 towards its wages per month.

According to the findings of the sample survey the monthly earnings of small sized tea-shops ranged between Rs. 100 and Rs. 150 per month and the big tea-shops were found to have their earnings ranging between Rs. 400 and Rs. 700 per month. On the occasion of festivals, at the time of local fairs or at the harvest time the business was brisk and more prospective, whereas in the rainy season, the business was normal if not dull.

Most of the establishments were located in rented premises, the rent varying from Rs. 25 to Rs. 70 per month. The amount of rent depended upon the locality and the availability of other similar facilities.

The business, however, is still not in a advanced state. The modern technique of business is hardly known and so naturally not employed. However, the gradual industrialization accompanied by urbanization of the district will provide a fillip to the growth of this business.

TOP