Gurgaon: LPG shortage and a sharp spike in cylinder prices are squeezing food businesses in the city, forcing cloud kitchens and small eateries to trim menus, switch partially to electric appliances and raise prices to cope with rising fuel costs.Commercial LPG cylinders, which were selling at around Rs 2,500 at the beginning of the fuel crisis, have surged to nearly Rs 4,000 in the black market, according to operators. Many kitchen owners allege that bulk buyers and traders are hoarding cylinders, worsening the shortage and forcing smaller businesses to buy fuel at inflated rates just to keep their kitchens running.Kitchens that rely heavily on gas for quick, high-volume cooking say the situation is becoming difficult to sustain.“We are facing challenges and have removed some items from our menu. We should be able to manage for the next few days, but not beyond that,” said Kalpesh, who runs a cloud kitchen in the city.A significant share of the pressure is being felt by delivery-first brands listed on platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy, where menus depend on quick-moving dishes and continuous cooking. Several operators said they have begun quietly removing gas-intensive items — such as tandoor snacks and slow-simmered gravies — from menus.Operators also warned that prolonged fuel shortages could begin affecting employment in the sector. Cloud kitchens typically run multiple shifts with small teams of cooks, helpers and delivery coordinators, and owners said sustained high fuel costs could force them to cut shifts or reduce staff if operations become unviable. Kalpesh said his kitchen processes around 500 orders daily and typically consumes between 2.5 and three LPG cylinders on weekdays, rising to around four on weekends.“With cylinders selling close to Rs 4,000 a piece, sustaining operations becomes extremely difficult. If prices don’t come down, we may have to shut the afternoon shift,” he said.To cut fuel use, some operators have begun shifting certain preparations to induction stoves and appliances such as air fryers. However, they say electric alternatives cannot fully replace LPG in a commercial kitchen, especially for bulk curries and tandoor-style dishes.“We have not been getting cylinders for the past two days, and market prices keep changing. It’s impossible to plan prep or inventory when we don’t know whether we will have gas the next morning,” said Rohit Arora, who runs a multi-brand delivery kitchen in Sector 45.Rising fuel costs are also pushing businesses to pass on some of the burden to customers. “We are being forced to raise prices of combos and biryani meals. Customers are complaining, but we don’t have an option. If this doesn’t stabilise soon, our margins will disappear,” Arora said.Madhu Saini, who runs a cloud kitchen in Sector 57, said she recently added a temporary Rs 5-20 increase across most dishes to offset rising fuel costs.“People think cloud kitchens earn a lot, but our profit margins are wafer-thin — gas prices hit us immediately,” she said, adding that some delivery brands may have to pause operations if the situation persists.Cloud kitchens and small eateries form a key part of the city’s food ecosystem, serving hundreds of customers daily and handling large order volumes, particularly on weekends.The district administration said consumers facing delays in receiving cooking gas cylinders or refusal of supply by dealers can lodge complaints on the toll-free helpline numbers of the respective LPG companies.
