Pune: Despite a flurry of discounts announced ahead of the Pune municipal elections to promote voting, most cafés, restaurants and malls across the city described the day’s footfall as largely similar to any regular Thursday.In an effort to nudge the city’s persistently low voter turnout, several establishments announced discounts, freebies or complimentary add-ons for customers who were showing willingness to get their fingers inked. The idea was to reward civic participation with a small, immediate treat and turn the act of voting into something special with a meal or desert.On the ground, however, the response was muted through the day. Food outlets said lunch service remained slow, with very few customers actively claiming the offers. Staff members across cafés and casual dining spaces said only a handful of diners displayed their inked fingers without being prompted. “We offered free doughnuts to people who showed their inked finger, but fewer than 10 people showed up to claim it,” said an employee at a confectionery outlet in the city. At restobars, footfall was lower than usual, with the dry day further curbing casual outings and evening plans.While cafes and restaurants saw a modest response to democracy discounts, vada pav and snack stalls near polling stations did a good business through the day. Many voters stepped out after casting their vote and stopped for a quick bite at these stalls before heading work. “People came straight here after voting for a small snack. We can’t afford to give discounts, but today there was more business than any usual Thursday. People just wanted a hot vada pao and tea” said Rakesh Pawar, adding that peak business was seen in the hours immediately after polling slots ended.Many restaurateurs, however, maintained that the discounts were never meant to drive business. Sandy Singh, partner at Iceberg Hospitality, which runs brands such as Swig, Kinki and Prem’s, said the initiative was about participation rather than profit. “Giving democracy discounts is a way for the restaurants and hospitality community to do our part for the country or the city. We are just encouraging people to go and vote and get them out for a meal to celebrate the fact that they did their civic duty. It is not business-driven at all. Only about 5-6% of walk-ins claim the offers by showing their inked finger. It is just for the cause,” he said.Dinner service, however, saw a modest uptick. Saili Jahagirdar, NRAI Pune chapter head and owner of Zillionisth Bistro, said the response improved later in the day. “Apart from NRAI member restaurants floating democracy discounts, many other establishments also offered such discounts and freebies. Cafés are giving free desserts or side dishes free with an order to whoever showed that they had voted. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, we got a very good response. This year, it is the same idea. Some restaurants were fully packed for lunch service as well, partly because it was a holiday for some private firms. Many restaurants have the offer tomorrow also,” she said.At Zillionisth Bistro, Jahagirdar said footfall remained consistent, with dinner service picking up from around 7.30pm. “We are also extending democracy discounts to parcels for regular customers and continuing the offer on Friday,” said Jahagirdar.Across the city, several firms allowed employees flexible hours rather than a full day off to vote, which shaped dining patterns through the day. KOPA mall, which remained shut till 5pm to allow employees to vote, saw restaurants filling up during dinner service.
