More hiccups than cheers: Here’s the latest on the new bars in Chennai

Despite lockdowns and the current pause on serving liquor, new bars are still launching every month in Chennai. How will they stay afloat despite being either closed or dry for most of this year?

The kitchen of Middle of Nowhere was frantic with activity. Staff at the recently launched bar in Mogappair checked expiry dates on meat, cheese and perishables, even as they energetically wiped down tables and sterilised equipment. One would think they were getting set to open a restaurant. But, this was in preparation to shut down. Middle of Nowhere, along with a clutch of other optimistic bars, launched early this year, only to close down almost immediately after opening night. As the second wave of COVID-19 battered Chennai, an intense lockdown was announced in May. “At that point we did not know how long we would be shut for,” says Arasu Dennis, consultant for Middle of Nowhere, and other popular city bars including The Living Room (Anna Nagar), Off The Record, BOATS, and Fat Monkey. Living Room ran for four months and Middle Of Nowhere for a month before the lockdown.