With dine-in still banned and no large family gatherings allowed, celebrations to ring in the year of the Ox will be far more muted than last year when the festivities were completed before the first movement control order (MCO) put the whole nation on pause.
For Restaurant Oversea, a Klang Valley institution, the ban on gatherings will be a huge blow.
“It’s terrible at the moment. I think our revenue will be around a fifth of what it normally is over the festive period,” group general manager Yap Teck Beng said.
He tells FMT that every year sees the restaurant crowded with diners throughout the 15 days of celebration, but now business revolves around tricky deliveries.
“We’ve actually been delivering Yee Sang for a few years, but now that’s the only way we can sell it,” he says.
“Other dishes are also very difficult. Things like whole fish and soups can be very challenging to package and transport.”
Daniel Tan agrees, saying that his Restaurant Extra Super Tanker’s three branches are typically booked solid for both the week before and immediately after the first day of Chinese New Year.
Tan, who is the business development manager, said the pivot to takeaway-only has been a tricky one, but one they have had to embrace.
“Before, we were only used to people taking away leftovers in a doggy bag. Takeaway has never been a big part of what we do,” he said, adding that this year is a whole new experience.
“Aside from the takeaway and delivery options we have for this CNY, we are also offering pre-cooked, frozen versions of some of our more popular items so that people can reheat and serve them at home.”
He says he was disappointed when he heard about the MCO extension, as they had been expecting to have some dine-in allowed by the time festivities began.
“We’re facing a lot of pressure at the moment, because for a large banquet restaurant like ourselves, our costs are high, and they don’t change.”
Meanwhile, Yap says he is hopeful that if infections continue to drop in the lead up to Feb 18, some dine-in will be allowed so “at least for the last seven or eight days of CNY, customers can come in to celebrate”.
Although it is shaping up to be a difficult holiday, this restaurateur realises the priorities.
“The most important thing is the safety of society, but if cases can be controlled, we are happy to reopen.”