People in Kuwait have a passion for fast food. Although the trend of healthy eating and diet food spread widely among the community in the past few years, people still love burgers from popular international franchises and fried chicken that can’t be imitated.
Since the partial curfew was imposed on March 22, ordering from restaurants has been limited to only a few hours, and after the 20-day total curfew was imposed, all restaurants were closed. People were impatiently waiting to get their favorite meal delivered. They missed it very much, and some even went as far as posting photos of these meals on social media with poems expressing their longing and waiting.
From the first day of the lifting of the total curfew, long queues of cars were seen at all operational branches of cafes and fast food restaurants with drive thrus. Delivery schedules were packed and it was impossible to order. As most restaurants close at 4:00 pm, people rush to order, especially in the last two hours. Due to the high demand, many orders are canceled, delivered late or with wrong items.
I expected people to rush crazily to order meals on the first few days, so I waited for four days, thinking that the demand will drop and I can comfortably get my favorite burger. I drove all the way from Shuwaikh to Bidaa to get my meal, as the Shuwaikh branch is still closed. Their call center told me they are open till 4:30 pm. But when I arrived at 4:00 pm, they had already placed a barricade after the seventh car in the queue.
The security guard of the restaurant was standing beside this barricade to prevent more cars joining the queue. I asked him why they closed 30 minutes earlier - he explained that they had run out of raw material and all the burgers were over.
The scene of long queues at fast food restaurants continues to repeat every day, and one of the main reasons is the 12-hour curfew that forces restaurants to close early. As most of the world is relieving restrictions and measures - our neighboring countries have already done this - Kuwait should also end this curfew and get back to normal life.
Many people assumed that with the pandemic, people will be scared to order and eat from restaurants, and that it’s safer to eat at home. But no - nothing can stop us lovers of fast food from eating our favorite meals no matter what virus is out there!