New menu, smart cooking, induction cooktops! How restaurants plan to weather the LPG storm

What do you do when you run out of LPG in the middle of the month with no spare? You can book one and simply wait for delivery -- but in the meantime, time is money!

That is the situation many restaurants in the country are facing: An imminent supply crunch.

On Tuesday, domestic restaurants and hotels issued warnings of disruptions ​and even shutdowns as a raging conflict in the Middle East continued to hinder cooking gas supplies, prompting the central government to set up a committee to review industry requests.

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The government said the market is not short of cooking gas, stating that consumers remain its top priority.

On the same day, it invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to ensure priority allocation of the commodity to certain sectors, days after it used another law to direct refiners to ramp up LPG output and prioritise domestic supplies.

Oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured that India has no energy shortage despite geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Meanwhile, several consumers complained of difficulties in booking LPG refills through their usual methods. "I've been dialing the same number that I always dial to book a cylinder... It's been unreachable for hours," said a New Delhi-based user.

India meets much of its gas demand through imports, much of which travels via the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions in the region—sparked by the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict now in its second week—have choked petroleum supplies, hitting industries like hospitality hard.

Analysts estimate that inventories held by refiners and distributors are enough to cover 2-3 weeks of demand.

How restaurants are gearing up for 'challenging' times

Pushing "essential" status, restaurants' body NRAI has issued an advisory for the industry, urging its members to exercise some caution in rationing their LPG consumption. In light of mounting geopolitical tensions causing severe commercial LPG supply chain disruptions, it suggested restaurants adopt immediate fuel conservation and efficiency measures.

"The restaurant industry supports millions of livelihoods, from chefs and service staff to farmers and suppliers. During this challenging period, collective discipline, resource optimization, and industry collaboration will be critical in ensuring that our sector continues to operate and protect jobs," wrote the association in its advisory to restaurants.

It also vowed to keep its members updated as the situation evolves.

Here are some of its key suggestions:

Immediate LPG conservation

• Rationalise menus: Prioritise low-gas, short-cycle dishes; suspend high-gas items (long simmering, deep frying, slow cooking)
• Optimise equipment: Disable pilot flames; use lids, pressure cookers, right-sized burners; pre-soak ingredients
• Schedule efficiently: Consolidate prep/cooking in non-peak hours; batch cook; avoid standby burners; train staff daily

Operational efficiency

• Streamline production: Use central kitchens; pre-prep off-peak; optimise fryers/woks; group processes
• Resource management: Share pre-prepped items (gravies/sauces) with nearby outlets; monitor daily consumption; maintain burners/pipelines
• Adjust operations: Shorten hours in low-demand areas; simplify menus

Alternative cooking solutions

• Shift to electrics: Induction, electric griddles/fryers, combi/convection ovens, rice cookers/steamers, infrared salamanders

Business adjustment

• Switch to crisis menus with fast-cook items
• Communicate transparently on changes; limit to peak hours

Industry collaboration

• Coordinate locally: Share practices, bulk procurement

IOC -- which supplies cooking gas to households and businesses under brand Indane -- has said it has taken steps to enhance LPG production and prioritise its availability for domestic consumers and essential non-domestic sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions.

"Requests from other non-domestic sectors will be reviewed by a committee of Executive Directors from Oil Marketing Companies and prioritised based on merit, necessity, and product availability," it noted.