Vijayawada eateries get midnight green light

Vijayawada’s food scene just scored a win—city police have okayed eateries, from swanky hotels to dine-in joints, to sling plates till 12 am, a big lift for the restaurant trade. The nod from commissioner SV Rajasekhara Babu came after the AP Hotels Association leaned hard, citing a 2018 government order that never got legs until now. A late-night dosa flipper might grin, knowing the extra hours could fatten his till.

The trial run’s set for three months, covering 200 to 300 high-end spots across town, with the police keeping a sharp eye to tweak as needed. Hotel association president RV Swamy told me they’d been hammering at chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the DGP too—tourists and locals deserve a bite past dusk, he argued. The push kicked into gear on World Tourism Day, and now it’s live, plates clattering past the old 11 pm cutoff.

This isn’t just about food—it’s cash and buzz for a city eyeing bigger crowds. The move dusts off that 2018 GO MS No. 25, ignored till the TDP-led crew took the wheel again. A waiter in Labbipet might hustle harder, serving up biryani to night owls, while the state bets on happier visitors and fuller wallets.