Famous JB Shops See Business Booming Since Border Reopening On 1 Apr
Border restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic haven’t just separated loved ones from both ends of the Causeway, but also foodies from their beloved makan spots.
As land borders between Singapore and Malaysia reopened, many famous eateries and shops in Johor Bahru (JB) saw business booming, with countless people queueing up to savour food they’ve missed over the last two years.
One supper spot that’s popular among Singaporeans estimates that business has improved by about 40%, with 1,500 customers visiting within just two days of borders reopening.
Famous JB shops see long lines of customers from Singapore
Over the course of the pandemic, many of us have missed the yummy delicacies that we’ve associated with JB. For some, the fragrant banana cake from Hiap Choo Bakery would be high up their lists.
Unsurprisingly, the century-old bakery saw a long line of customers after the borders reopened yesterday (1 Apr).
According to Shin Min Daily News, the queue at least doubled in length today (2 Apr) and even extended to the adjacent shop.
The crowd apparently caught the owner of the bakery by surprise as they didn’t have time to prepare more stocks.
However, the owner assured customers that the bakery will be increasing the production of their famed banana cake to meet the demand.
Similar scenes were seen at the nearby Kam Long Curry Fish Head, which was jammed pack since 9am on 2 Apr.
Many of the customers were reportedly from Singapore and have not been to the iconic stall for the past two years.
Banafee Village restaurant remained packed till 4am
The previous night (1 Apr), popular supper spot Banafee Village was also filled with customers from Singapore.
Speaking to BERITAmediacorp, the restaurant manager shared that prior to the reopening, there would only be about four tables filled by 2am. However, the restaurant was full even at 4.30am last night.
The manager also shared that business was up by about 40% and that 60% of customers were Singaporeans.
The nearby car wash, which was badly affected by the pandemic, also saw business improve by 30 to 40%.
As Singapore visitors flocked the shop, the owner shared that he had to extend opening hours to 6am.
He also expects business to improve further with the upcoming Ramadan period.
A heartening sight
It’s truly heartening to see Singaporeans flocking over to their favourite shops in JB and being able to taste the food they’ve sorely missed for the past two years.
While filling their stomachs, we hope visiting Singaporeans will stay safe and practise good hygiene as we are still in the middle of a pandemic.
What shops do you miss most from JB? Let us know in the comments.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image updated from BERITAmediacorp and Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.
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