Caption: The Femme de Chalet, aka The Breakfast Shed on Monday. AZP News/Alicia Chamely
By Alicia Chamely
THE atmosphere is haunting.
The buzz of conversation and the clatter of kitchens have been replaced with the droning of Wrightson Road traffic and the occasional cackle of shortcut-taking pedestrians.
The warm aromas of fresh bake, sweet milky tea and sharply spiced curries have given way to the suffocating smell of car exhaust and thick clouds of marijuana smoke escaping the lips of the loiters left behind.
What was a pulsing hot spot on the Port of Spain Waterfront, the Femme de Chalet, popularly known as the Breakfast Shed, now stands empty.
On Saturday, it was reported that the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) had delivered “demand letters” for the arrears of rent, stating vendors collectively owed the Corporation a total of $ 1.8 million.
UDeCOTT chairman Shankar Bidaisee said, “The tenants, they are owing UDeCOTT a substantial amount of money and, of course, UDeCOTT has been making demands for payment…that’s arrears over several years.”
Additionally, vendors are owing the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) a further $30,000 in unpaid bills.
Unable to pay, the vendors, many of whom had occupied their space for a decade or more, vacated the open-air premises.
On Monday morning, while the rest of the city opened and buzzed, the 10 or so kitchens and stalls of the Breakfast Shed remained shuttered.
Unclear as to whether the stall was open, an elderly gentleman moved in and out of a corner stall advertising cold beers and other beverages. Shying away from media attention, he politely declined to discuss the closure.
He suggested speaking to a younger gentleman, who was sprawled on a bench in front of a bright pink. “No Marijuana Smoking” sign.
The younger man was not a tenant of the stalls, but rather a daily fixture who sold cold drinks from a cooler.
Approached by AZP News, he drew a long pull of his roll and said for $500 he would comment, before laying back down.
This has not been the first time the Breakfast Shed has been closed. In 2013, the eatery was shut down for just over two weeks after vendors complained about a rat infestation and had called upon UDeCOTT to carry out repairs to the ageing infrastructure.
Despite being featured in numerous travel and food blogs, vendors complained that their businesses could not compete with restaurants and other food spots in the city. A main complaint was the facilities, noting people would rather eat indoors where it was cool and not be at the mercy of the elements.
Returning to the Breakfast Shed at lunch time, several tables were occupied with persons eating lunch they had brought from home.
Two young women said they would regularly meet up and have lunch here, saying it was a nice place to get out of the office and sit by sea. One noted, however, they often bought food from home.
Another woman, who worked at the Waterfront towers, said she occasionally purchased food at the Breakfast Shed, as did many of her co-workers, so it was confusing to her as to why the vendors were not claiming to be able to pay their rent.
Two men, who also worked at the Waterfront, said while they had not purchased food from the Breakfast Shed vendors in a long time, but they and co-workers would often buy drinks there. They, too were confused about the closure, saying it had always been a popular spot.
The future of the famed Femme de Chalet hinged on discussions between UDeCOTT and the vendors scheduled to take place this week.
