SINGAPORE — Some establishments located in Little India, such as hotels and major supermarket chains, do not expect to be affected by this weekend’s alcohol ban, but small businesses and F&B outlets that sell or serve liquor have expressed concerns that they will be hit hard by the suspension.

In its preparations ahead of the weekend, the largest hotel in the area, PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road, said it will be placing letters in all its 534 rooms to notify guests of the alcohol ban.

Any alcohol will also be removed from its in-room mini bars and notices will be displayed at its restaurants, lounges and pool bar, the hotel said.

Instead, it will hold a mocktail party for its guests at the lobby lounge during the “dry” weekend.

Meanwhile, budget hotels and backpacker hostels that TODAY spoke to said none of their guests have cancelled their bookings or shortened their stay since Sunday’s riot.

Boutique hotel Wanderlust at Dickson Road said it has not had any cancellations either. It said it does not stock alcohol in its mini bars, but a wedding that will be held at its restaurant, Cocotte, on Sunday will be affected.

“We have spoken to the wedding couple and fortunately for us, they were completely understanding about the situation. We do still feel bad that this had to happen on their special day, but we are working with them to provide alternative mocktails in place of the alcoholic beverages,” said the hotel’s Head of Branding and Communications Mae Noor.

At Hillman Restaurant on Kitchener Road, where beer sales account for a quarter of its daily takings, owner S K Wong, 70, said he hopes the alcohol suspension would be imposed only this weekend.

“We’re just doing business,” he said, adding that most of his patrons drink alcohol while they dine.

Over at Desker Road, Bellwethers Bistro Bar said half its daily takings come from liquor sales.

Pointing out that foreign workers, in fact, do not patronise F&B outlets, proprietor Cynthia Soh, 27, felt the blanket ban on alcohol in the area was not “targeted and wise”.

Supermarket chain Sheng Siong and convenience chain Cheers, both with outlets in the area, said the impact of the weekend alcohol ban remains to be seen.

A Cheers spokesperson said the company supports “efforts to promote responsible drinking” and added that the chain is currently working with the Health Promotion Board on a Responsible Retailing of Alcohol initiative at its outlets, which reminds customers to drink responsibly.

One KTV outlet along Jalan Besar road, however, said it will remain closed over the weekend.