Vandals hit Sauce branch

KELLY HOSEIN-RICHARDS, owner of the Curepe branch of D’Original Sauce Doubles, has complained to the police that vandals smashed the window of her outlet.

She told Newsday on Tuesday, “They vandalised my shop. I was not there. I got a phone call from my neighbour.

“It is horrible. They are threatening my life. It is really bad.”

Her company’s Facebook page has been flooded with vitriolic messages blaming her for the nationwide shutdown of fast food outlets such as KFC during the covid 19 lockdown.

Last week the Government ordered the closure of all doubles outlets, but allowed fast-food franchise restaurants to run a takeaway service under the “essential services” exemption from closure. Hosein-Richards complied, but then tried to run a takeaway service so clients would be safe from any spread of the virus. This was shut down by the police.

Her attorneys Prakash Ramadhar and Larry Lala complained of unfair treatment, after which on Monday the Prime Minister said all fast food outlets must close until month-end, leading to panic-buying of other fast food favourites.

By Monday night, in a social media post, Hosein-Richards complained of personal threats to her safety, following Dr Rowley’s announcement.

She wrote that someone had blamed her for the full shutdown, while she said she had only been seeking equality of treatment.

Hosein-Richards bitterly complained of threats from an irate restaurant patron.

“You all are threatening my safety for standing up for the right thing,” she lamented. “I never meant for all restaurants to be closed but to give us the same opportunity as others.”

She shared a copy of a post on her page. “Mrs Kelly, you caused all fast food places to be closed. Please don’t come out to sell after the lockdown or else you would be a victim. You want someone to burn your place. You mean you can’t get to sell, so no one must sell.”

Hosein-Richards told Newsday on Tuesday esh had not wanted restaurants to have to shut but had simply wanted her outlet to have the choice of whether to open or close. Addressing some of the vitriol, she said her business is registered and pays taxes.

Hosein-Richards flatly denied any ethnic slant to her position.

“They trying to say it is a racial thing. Well, my husband is African, and my daughter is a dougla. It is nothing to do with race. People who know me know I am not racial.”

Meanwhile amid threats of a doubles boycott, on Facebook another branch of the Sauce Doubles franchise said they had shut down days ago and had not been to blame for the fast food clampdown.