To stay afloat, city’s famous juice corner mulls going online

Avneet Kaur

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Jalandhar, May 25

As restaurants, cafés and food joints across the country have been ordered to keep their dining rooms shut to slow the spread of novel coronavirus, contactless delivery seems to be their only chance to stay open and avoid wholesale layoffs.

The city’s famous Ganga Juice Corner, located at Company Bagh Chowk here, which has been savouring fresh juices and shakes to its customer for the past 40 years now, say they are forced to tie-up with food delivery apps as the footfall of customers is negligible these days.

Talking to The Tribune, Ranveer Kumar Sood, owner of the juice corner, said after remaining shut for almost two months, he was happy to return to the business. He said he had called just three of his workers as of now and had put in place all safety measures as asked by the administration.

“I have replaced all juice glasses with disposable ones. Customers are not allowed to enter the shop as we have blocked the entrance. We have assigned a boy to take orders from a safe distance while no one is allowed to come near the counter”, said Sood said, adding that some customers take away juice glasses while others drink it the same moment sitting on their vehicles at some distance from the shop.

He says every morning he sprays disinfectant in the shop before starting operations and ask workers to wear gloves, mask and cover their heads before arranging the fruit stock or touching crockery.

Sharing his market strategy to survive the coronavirus crisis, he said he was looking forward to hiring his own delivery boys or partner with Zomato and Swiggy to deliver fresh juices on the doorstep of clients. “Our sales were good in the past years and we never ever felt the need of home delivery. But as residents are reluctant to visit markets due to the Covid-19 fear, it’s the need of the hour to go online,” he said.

On losses he suffered in the past two months, Ranveer says profit and loss go side by side in the business, but it’s for the first time he has seen real tough times. “Covid has badly affected all sectors. But I feel we should not lose hope and keep our faith intact. I am hopeful that the business will revive in the coming four to five months,” he added.

Adjusting to the new normal

Sharing his market strategy to survive the coronavirus crisis, Ranveer Kumar Sood, owner of Ganga Juice Corner, said he was looking forward to hiring his own delivery boys or partner with Zomato and Swiggy to deliver fresh juices on the doorstep of clients. “Our sales were good in the past years and we never ever felt the need of home delivery. But as residents are reluctant to visit markets due to the Covid-19 fear, it’s the need of the hour to go online,” he said.