Why I Think Most Indian Restaurants Tend to Refuse Credit Card and Prefer Cash/GCash Instead for Dine-Ins

There are times I remember when I tend to run out of cash because I would go to Bollywood Tandoor (my favorite) or Cherry's the Spice (depending on my mood) for a good old curry or Indian barbecue. Right now, my favorite food at Bollywood Tandoor is either the grilled butter chicken, mutton curry, or the rather pricey (but also tasty) chicken kabsa biryani. Little India Healthy Cuisine (which permanently closed in Cebu City while thriving in Quezon City) was the only one that accepted credit cards during dine-ins, but the place was vegetarian. I felt sad learning that Little India Healthy Cuisine had permanently closed. In the case of Bollywood Tandoor, it was once Mr. India in Gaisano Country Mall prior to its rebirth as Bollywood Tandoor. Cherry's the Spice, which is South Indian style, also served its own charm. Overall, Bollywood Tandoor is still my favorite because North Indian food tends to be more adjustable for my personal taste.

I thought about the number of times I ran out of pocket money. I had this "vice" of eating at Bollywood Tandoor or Cherry's the Spice, or also Bharat Spice in IT Park. Bharat Space's new schedule (opening at certain times, usually at 2 PM on certain days), though, feels "inconvenient" for me, so I tend to go to Bollywood Tandoor or Cherry's the Spice. None of them accepted credit cards. I often choose the "pricier meals" like a mutton biryani (my favorite) or the chicken dishes. I would also eat vegetable dishes from Bollywood Tandoor the most. 

There are constraints with a credit card. Credit cards require a processing fee to keep them going. Not only that, but credit cards tend to take two to three working days (standard) to clear. Indian restaurants tend to have that "we need cash immediately". I remember going to Bollywood Tandoor on the evenings. Right now, they're even operating the 24K Bar. I would often look at the bright lights at Bollywood Tandoor. I would look at the amount of resources used for opening from 10 AM to 11 PM. That's really 13 hours of operation. Back in the day, they had a "break period," but now, it's straight. I went to Cherry's the Spice in the evening, and I saw massive resources drain. I would like to see these places as heavy-duty, delicious food cooking factories. "These guys need the cash immediately!" clicks into my mind every time I pay them or see customers pay such huge amounts during group meals. 

I remember talking to its owner, Reddy Katkuri Prakash. Mr. Prakash took pride in starting everything from scratch, serving fresh food to the customers. I thought about using fresh ingredients daily meant purchasing the ingredients daily. That meant one had to get fresh meat daily. No wonder Cherry's the Spice refused to accept credit cards! Instead, Cherry's the Spice goes with a cash basis for liquidity. 

Bollywood may also have the same philosophy. Going to Bollywood, if my memory serves me right, the waitresses mentioned they go to the market almost daily. If one goes to the market almost daily, then a steady supply of cash is necessary. Customers eating there on Friday-Sunday means that the clearing time would take longer than usual. It doesn't help that people might go there on a holiday to enjoy the meal. Holiday means no banking day. That means any credit-card meal paid a day before the holiday and during the holiday means slow processing time. The money isn't usable until it's been cleared. 

As I thought about it, getting a credit line is on a case-by-case basis. Applying for a credit line means extra expense. In the case of Indian restaurants, it seems that a credit line becomes more of a liability in the long run. If they really need fresh ingredients as much as possible, then liquid cash is the best asset they can have. A delay in clearing time for dine-ins is truly a liability. Thankfully, many of them still accept credit card payment for deliveries. But most of these places tend to be ideal for dine-in instead.