Food sales have been “super slow” this year compared to the past, according to some food vendors. The “first timers” among them say if sales stay as slow as they are, this may be their last time to participate in the annual event.
Gerard Olaes of Jologs Barbeque & Catering said a few people have visited the activity center since it opened on June 4.
“People who do visit are not buying much like what they used to do before. Maybe because times are really hard these days, so we have to limit our food displays, too,” Olaes said.
“Our bestsellers are mostly chicken, pork and hotdog barbeque because it is only 50 cents, but this year’s sales are the slowest ever,” he said.
For first timer Mai Thai Restaurant, sales have been very slow so it decided to open only during Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
“We close from Monday to Thursday nights because we hardly make any sale and we have to pay utilities and staffers,” Apple Phoorhanonasri told the Variety.
She said as a newcomer to the food industry on island, they thought renting a Liberation booth was a good idea.
“People don’t know us yet, except for those who are looking for Thai food,” she said.
Every night, they had to throw away good but unsold food.
“This only adds to our loss,” Phoorhanonasri said.
The Mai Thai Restaurant in San Antonio opened about five months ago.
This year is also Snicker ‘n Tuna Bar & Grill’s first time to sell food for the Liberation Day festivities, but its sales are dismal.
Its owner David Lewis said the few people who visit have about 20 food booths to choose from, and this is why some vendors, himself included, “suffer” from low sales.
His booth offers tuna kelaguen, poke and their signature product — tuna jerky.
“We have to pay the $600 rent for the booth, plus $120 for utilities,” he said.
Not all food vendors are badly hit by the economic crunch. Well-known establishments like Kinpachi Restaurant, Lynn’s Barbeque and Poons Restaurant said they are breaking even.
“There are days when sales are kind of slow, especially during the weekdays but on weekends, food sales usually pick up as tourists and locals bring their families here,” Tess Amante of Kinpachi Restaurant said.
Violy Elbo of Lynn’s Barbeque said they get by just fine.
“We know times are hard, and like the rest, we suffer low sales on the weekdays too but still, we get good sales during the weekends,” Elbo said.
Their sales have not been this slow compared to the previous years.
“Back then there were more people,” she added.
She said in the previous years, renting a booth cost $1,000 for the whole month and included power and utilities.
Booths easily recovered their expenses after the first few nights, she added.
“It’s different now, but we still manage to survive,” Elbo said.
Booths selling clothes, gifts, toys and other merchandise are suffering too.
The vendors have only a week to go, but they hope that sales will pick up on the remaining days, including Liberation Day on July 4.
The vendors are requesting members of the community to participate in the festivities and try the merchandise and delicious food they are offering.
