KUCHING: Coffee shops in the city have yet to see an increase in their earnings.
Kuching Coffee Shop and Restaurant Owners Association general affairs officer Richard Chong said business had gotten worse since the Covid-19 pandemic hit last year with no sign of improvement yet.
“One of the major causes is due to the public’s fear of dining in.
“Unlike before, people loved to go to coffee shops to sit down with friends and family, but because of Covid-19, many people are scared to sit in, preferring to ‘tapao’ (takeaway) only. This has somehow affected business.”
He said last year alone, over 2,000 coffee shops in the country, including Kuching had closed down permanently.
“Last year, there was one row of shops (about seven shops) that had just operated for two to three years at iCOM Square in Kuching but had to close down.”
He added that the sustainability of a coffee shop depended on locality and rental.
“Sometimes, shop rentals can be very high, plus with the Covid-19, it has been very hard for coffee shops to sustain their businesses.”
He said for instance in the town area of Kuching, rentals could cost between RM6,000 and RM8,000. Because of Covid-19, rentals had been reduced to RM2,000 and RM3,000.
Chong also operates a coffee shop — the over 70-year-old Hiap Yak Tea Coffee Shop, situated at Kai Joo Lane here.
“Ever since we were hit by Covid-19 last year, my business has dropped by 30 to 40 per cent in a month,” said Chong, a second-generation running the coffee shop.
“We hope that the Ministry of Tourism could help promote local coffee shops through social media by promoting the available specialities to the public,” he added.
