Although the state government has allowed restaurants to resume business at half capacity, owners of small restaurants in the city are having a hard time coming up with a workable model that incorporates the government's guidelines and keeps their business afloat. Working at half capacity, many say, is not viable. Most of the city's smaller restaurants are located in crowded and narrow lanes and operating them amid COVID-19 protocols is difficult.

Over 50 per cent of such small restaurants will remain closed.