BENGALURU: Thursday could be the new Friday for young professionals in Bengaluru. Pubs and resto-bars in the city vouch for the advancement of the weekend. Overcrowding at watering holes on Fridays and Saturdays could be the reason, say F&B entrepreneurs. Gitanjanli Budhrani, partner of Bootlegger, believes that Thursday is an organic progression from concept nights like Wednesday tribute nights, Sunday brunches and sundowners.
“The evolved reveller is looking for a more meaningful outing today,” says she. Fashion entrepreneur Kavya Chandra is one of those who has rescheduled her calendar accordingly. “The idea is to keep weekends relaxed. Working hard and partying harder applies to week days only,” says she.
Hectic work-life propels people to unwind midweek. Most professionals here have a fiveday office schedule where easy Fridays allow a heavy Thursday night.
Avoiding overcrowded bars on weekends a prime reason. Celebrity chef Manu Chandra of The Fatty Bao and Monkey Bar chain observes that Thursday night ensures a likeminded crowd that likes to avoid elbow-to-elbow gatherings. “It is a popular concept in New York where Manhattaners party on Thursday nights to avoid Friday’s ‘tunnel crowd’,” explains Chandra.
According to restaurant owners, there has been a spike in sales on Thursday nights. Gastropub chain House Of Commons claims to clock 25% more sales on Thursdays than a weekday or almost as much as a Friday.
Director-operations Dilip Nair says, “Young professionals from IT and other fields form the dominant guest profile. They tend to go out for family dinners over weekends or organize home get-togethers.”
Noticing the growing trend, The Irish House in Whitefield has started organising Game Nights on Thursdays. General manager Sanju Arora says, “The trend is popular with corporates looking at weekly or monthly parties. It is a postwork stressbuster for professionals aged 25 and above. On Fridays, it is impossible to even get a table anywhere.”
Windsor Pub, which recently shifted its location from Vasanth Nagar to Indiranagar, has also launched a tribute night called Mixtape Thursdays. The aim is to hangout over music than just drinking.
