Nagpur: The ongoing LPG crunch has begun to severely disrupt operations of cloud kitchens across the city, forcing many operators to scale down menus, reduce working hours and struggle to stay financially viable.Several kitchen owners said they have had to redesign their offerings almost entirely around items that can be prepared using ovens, microwaves or air fryers, as cooking on gas has become difficult due to limited supply of commercial LPG cylinders.Dilip Talsania, who runs a cloud kitchen in Ramdaspeth, said the shortage has sharply impacted his business. “Earlier, we used to generate around Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 orders daily. Now it has dropped to barely Rs5,000,” he said.Talsania added shortage has forced him to temporarily discontinue nearly 70% of his menu. “Chinese dishes, Maggi, and coffee are off the menu for now. We are surviving mostly on sandwiches and pizzas,” he said.Some operators also claimed even when commercial LPG cylinders are available, they are being sold at significantly higher prices. As per them, rates in some cases have surged nearly three times the earlier price.Umesh Dighe, who runs a small desi Chinese cloud kitchen in Nandanvan, said he has reduced his working hours drastically to cope with the shortage. “I now open my kitchen only at 9pm and continue service till about 1am. Earlier, we used to operate for nearly 12 hours a day, but it is not affordable anymore,” he said.Another kitchen owner, requesting anonymity, said the immediate impact on her business has been limited due to the nature of her menu, though the coming weeks could be challenging. “I serve rotis and curries, so my gas consumption is relatively low. I also prepare rotis only after receiving orders instead of making them in bulk, which helps conserve gas,” she said.For some cloud kitchens, reliance on pre-processed ingredients has provided temporary relief. One operator said that using store-bought items such as frozen fries and burger patties has allowed them to switch to air fryers instead of gas stoves. “Air-frying helps us save LPG for now, but in the long run it will increase electricity costs,” the owner said.
