Some doubles vendors stay shut on Monday

Two doubles vendors who found themselves in the spotlight during the covid19 restriction period will not re-open on Monday but later this week, Newsday learnt on Sunday.

In a televised address on Saturday the Prime Minister said takeaway meal outlets may resume on Monday after a six-week closure to prevent congregating and so curb any viral spread.

Newsday spoke to Kelly Hosein-Richards of the Original Sauce Doubles and Ronald Pyango of the Original Fat Boy Doubles and Pies.

Hosein-Richards had sought legal advice after police prevented her from selling in Curepe when the Ministry of Health placed a ban on all itinerant vending. Pyango had shot to fame by supplying pre-packaged doubles to the St Christopher’s service station on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.

Police also stopped the station from selling the doubles and other pre-packaged foods, but Police Commissioner Gary Griffith admitted his officers had made an error.

Hosein-Richards told Newsday, “We are not opening Monday, but on Tuesday. We didn’t know about it from before. We need time to get our market stuff fresh. Tomorrow (Monday) would have been too much of a rush.” Asked if she was excited to be coming back out, she said, “Of course, definitely excited."

Hosein-Richards said her Curepe outlet will offer a take away service. “We’ll let one person come in to the shop, collect their order and leave.”

She lamented, however, that she and other relatives are still getting threats from people blaming her for the lockdown of meal outlets. Hosein-Richards said after her store had been vandalised a few weeks ago, the police contacted her but so far had not held any suspect.

Pyango keenly looked forward to getting back out to his Petit Valley stand, but said this would not be on Monday but later in the week perhaps by Wednesday.

“We’ll be taking precautions. It will be more lining up than before.”

He said he has received no specific instructions from the Ministry of Health but that everyone is expected to know what to do to stay sanitary and safe. Asked if he will wear a mask, Pyango replied, “For sure.”

He did not expect to continue to supply his deconstructed doubles which he said had been done only for the period of restriction owing to covid19. “I had a chat with them and said I’ll be going.

“It is plenty of work too, to box out all the doubles. I did everything at home and delivered it to them afterwards, so it was challenging.”

Had he suffered a big financial loss in initiating a conversion of his traditional doubles business to the deconstructed model, only to now end ? “Not really,” Pyango replied. “They provided me with the boxes. I didn’t lose anything. Whatever goods I bought for the deconstructed doubles, I will use when I come out to my stand.”

He said he was keen to resume selling.

“My customers are ringing me right through, asking, ‘When are you coming back out?’ I had said soon. There is a God and things will happen.”