Rajkot/Surat/Vadodara: A sharp shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has disrupted the hospitality sector in Gujarat, forcing hotels to cancel events and restaurants to trim menu offerings as they struggle to manage limited gas supplies.Facing an acute gas crunch, several establishments have begun prioritizing wedding functions over other social and corporate events. “I need 120 cylinders a month, but my dealer can supply only 30. That leaves stock for barely a week. Alternative fuels aren’t viable, and I’ve already cancelled several small function bookings, Naimee Khakhar, an eatery owner. To conserve their limited supply, many restaurants cut menus by nearly 50%, focusing only on the most ordered dishes. A hotel chain operating in tourist hubs of Saurashtra, including Rajkot, has stopped serving popular items such as South Indian dishes, sizzlers and brownies, which require continuous or high heat. Instead, kitchens are preparing items like curries and gravies that can be cooked with lower fuel use.In Vadodara, restaurant and cafe owners in Vadodara also raised concerns about the shortage of LPG cylinders.“Suppliers are not accepting fresh bookings for gas cylinders. If supply does not resume in the next two to three days, many restaurants will have to shut down,” said Nitin Nanavaty, head of the National Restaurants Association of India, Vadodara chapter. In hill station Saputara, restaurants currently have cooking gas stock for around 10 days and have begun adjusting their menus by removing dishes that need more fuel. “Hotels and restaurants in Saputara have cooking gas arrangements for about five to seven days, but smaller outlets are badly affected,” said Upendra Patel, president , Saputara Hotel Owners Association.
