BEST WISHES
By Vivek Narayanan | IMAWS (cbedit@imaws.org)
Kasaragod — Kerala’s northernmost district — enjoys a strong culinary identity rooted in Malabari cuisine, renowned for its seafood delicacies, meat-based specials and use of coconut oil in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes. However, despite this gastronomic richness, the region’s hospitality sector is grappling with a growing set of problems that have left hoteliers on edge.
Staffing Woes: A Persistent Concern for Hoteliers
One of the most pressing issues affecting the hotel and catering industry in Kasaragod is the inconsistent availability of employees. Unlike neighboring districts, such as Kannur and Kozhikode, Kasaragod sees fewer job seekers willing to travel or relocate for work.
“Employees from other parts of Kerala are reluctant to take up jobs here, and even when they do, they often leave without notice,” lamented K. Prakashan, owner of Parippuvada, a vegetarian restaurant in Nileshwar. “This disrupts operations and puts restaurant owners in a tough spot.”
To counter this, the Kasaragod Hotel and Restaurant Association has implemented a collaborative arrangement, beginning with Nileshwar town, to vet candidates before employment. “Now, when someone applies for a job in a new hotel after quitting another, they must explain the reason for leaving their previous employment. This helps us verify if the departure was legitimate or due to misconduct,” added Prakashan, stressing the need for accountability in hiring practices.
For street-side eateries or smaller food outlets, staff turnover is frequent, often with workers staying only for brief stints. But for full-service restaurants that require staff to work long hours — from morning till evening — such irregularities have a larger operational impact.
Input Costs Spiral Out of Control
Parallel to the workforce challenge is the sharp and unpredictable rise in prices of key ingredients, which has placed immense pressure on hotel budgets.
“The price of 1 kg of biriyani rice went from ₹120 last week to ₹150 this week. Coconut oil and vegetables show a similar jump,” Prakashan pointed out. “Without a functioning price control mechanism, managing daily business has become an uphill task.”
Even marginal fluctuations in prices of cooking essentials like rice, oil, and onions can dent the thin profit margins that most hoteliers in the region operate within. Restaurateurs also have to bear the brunt of increasing electricity tariffs and rising staff salaries, compounding the financial burden.
“Hotel owners are facing a dual blow—unpredictable staff behaviour and skyrocketing prices. It’s getting harder to survive in this business,” said Binu M.K., Secretary of the Kasaragod Hotel and Restaurant Association, while speaking to Kitchen Herald.
Desertion without Notice Leaves Hoteliers Stranded
One of the more frustrating trends for restaurant owners is the sudden and uncommunicated departure of employees, often without any handover or transition.
“Many workers leave overnight without informing us. We have no time to find replacements or train new staff. This leaves the management stranded, especially during peak hours,” said another restaurateur on condition of anonimity.
Even well-established restaurants find themselves constantly scrambling to fill gaps and reallocate tasks, resulting in customer dissatisfaction and operational delays.
Lack of Floating Population affects Business in Small Towns
Unlike larger urban centres, smaller towns such as Nileshwar, Kanhangad, and Payyannur lack a steady floating population that can sustain restaurants and cafés throughout the day.
“In towns like Nileshwar, there are no major government offices or institutions that can bring in daily footfall. We also lack recreational infrastructure like malls or multiplexes,” said Raghuveer Pai, owner of Vasantha Vihar, a long-standing hotel in Nileshwar. “By evening, most people — especially the youth — return home, leaving our business dry.”
This is in stark contrast to cities like Kozhikode, Ernakulam or Thiruvananthapuram, where officegoers, students and tourists help keep the F&B industry alive across all hours.
Hotel owners say they often rely heavily on repeat customers, with very limited walk-ins or new clientele on weekdays. With limited entertainment venues, shopping districts or transit hubs, even weekends fail to bring in the kind of surge that would help cover operational costs.
Price Hikes Unsustainable, Fear of Losing Customers
While the cost of ingredients continues to rise, hoteliers remain wary of revising menu prices, fearing a customer backlash.
“In North Malabar, our staples include biriyani, ghee rice, parotta and accompanying meat dishes. The kheema rice we use for these has become exorbitantly expensive. But we can’t raise prices beyond a point,” reasoned Mohammed Zafarullah, a restaurant owner in Kasaragod. “If we do, regular customers will stop coming. That’s a risk we can’t take.”
Instead, many hoteliers are absorbing the cost increase, eating into already narrow profit margins. Others are trying to rework portion sizes, substitute ingredients or offer limited menus — but these measures only go so far.
“There’s only so much we can do. We can’t compromise on quality either. The brand value we’ve built over the years depends on it,” Zafarullah added.
Digital Disruption: Food Vloggers and Skewed Perceptions
Another challenge hoteliers flagged is the influence of digital food content creators, especially vloggers who promote selective outlets.
“We have no issues with vloggers. But many of them aggressively promote certain restaurants that may not always deserve that attention,” said Zafarullah. “This creates an unhealthy competitive environment, especially for traditional restaurants that have served generations.”
He added that many digital creators focus on viral trends and presentation gimmicks, which skew customer expectations. As a result, some well-established eateries lose visibility despite maintaining consistent quality and hygiene standards.
“Running a restaurant is about sustainability, trust, and taste — not just flashy décor or presentation,” he observed.
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