As the ongoing West Asia conflict deepens with surge in oil prices and LPG shortage in India, a number of hotels and restaurants operating in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu announced a holiday on Wednesday due to a shortage of commercial LPG, employees said.
Customers who had come for tea and coffee expressed disappointment at the closures and hoped that the Centre would take steps to address the situation.
On March 10, the hotel association had raised concerns about sustaining operations, stating that the existing stock of commercial LPG "would only last one or two more days."
"Due to a lack of LPG supply, March 11, 2026, has been declared a holiday," read a notice displayed at a popular city hotel on Wednesday.
LPG crisis hits Bengaluru | Restaurants, autos & households react to gas shortage"If commercial LPG is affected like this, it could impact domestic LPG supply as well. The booking period for domestic cylinders has already been extended from 21 to 25 days. We are unsure what to do," PTI quoted a resident visiting a hotel in Thiyagaraya Nagar.
Many restaurants have also reduced the number of food items on offer, focusing on dishes that require minimal use of commercial LPG cylinders.
"We have prepared idli, sambar, and vada, but removed dosa varieties. For lunch and dinner, only variety rice will be served, as items like dosa and fried rice need a continuous LPG supply," said a hotel owner on the popular East Coast Road.
Representatives of the Tamil Nadu Hotels Associations, which represents the state's hotels and restaurants had earlier met Chief Minister M K Stalin on March 10 to brief him about the situation.
(With PTI inputs)