Mall Food Places COVID-19 Casualties?

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The boards in this photo are hiding two food vendors at the local mall that did not re-open after the pandemic. Small businesses operate online because the shopping mall is not for them. It’s mainly for the following:

1. Anchor stores like Sears. The one in our city went out of business before 2020, the pandemic year.

2. American and Canadian clothing brands that can afford the rent, while making a profit.

3. International food vendors that specialize in fried chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, long sandwiches and Chinese food.

The photo in this blog used to be a Chinese food vendor and a sushi bar.  I don’t know if I can call it a bar, because it was quite a long counter with all kinds of sushi under the glass, adjusted for the Canadian palate. How? They topped sushi with ketch-up and mustard. I can understand the closure of the sushi vendor because it is still niche food. Health conscious folks love it. Parents who  want to expand their kids’ view of the world also take kids to sushi places, so they can test drive chopsticks. Cute to watch.

But, I don’t understand the Chinese food vendor going out of business, because I thought it was popular with big families with a small budget for eating out. Plates overflow with rice, vegetables and meat nuggets. Why would a Chinese food outlet go out of business? Does it mean those families no longer have that small budget anymore?

I don’t know. I’m not a member of any Chamber of Commerce. They must have data on the number of businesses that did not re-open after the pandemic. Better still, are there other reasons, besides the pandemic?

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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