24-hour fruit stall doing well – vendor

While most businesses in Kingstown are closed by 10 p.m., you will meet Kenny “Sky Juice” Richards under the gallery of Courts Ltd, operating his 24-hour fruit stall.{{more}}

For Richards, who describes himself as a “hustler,” he does not believe in waiting for things to be handed to him, but rather goes for what he wants.

Shortly after midnight, SEARCHLIGHT took to the streets of Kingstown to have a chat with Richards, who was met sorting out his fruits in their appropriate places on his large stall.

Richards, 28, who stated that he has been operating the 24-hour business for about a year now, told SEARCHLIGHT he got the idea while living in Trinidad and Tobago for a approximately six years.

“I see how the people them there running business. So, I said I go do like them there and run a 24-hour business here,” he said.

Richards said he started out working on minivans, but that was not paying dividends.

“My cousin tell me to start a fruit stall. I started off with a small thing and now me business grow and expand,” Richards said, stating that he has been vending at that spot for over a decade.

According to the Redemption Sharpes resident, he is aware of the fact that party-goers are normally seen late on the streets of Kingstown and wanted to offer something that might be able to satisfy their appetites until they reach their various destinations.

“Business does go really well, you know. People would stop and buy their fruits and even a drink from my icebox and even stay and talk a while…,” Richards said.

The young businessman boasts a wide array of fruits and other assorted products, including: apples, pineapples, watermelon, grapes, peanuts, farine and even cassava bread.

One might wonder how Richards is able to manage sleep while operating a 24-hour business.

He’s got that covered.

Richards has two friends working with him and noted that they operate on a shift basis work system.

“I normally work at nights from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and I have a next man who would come from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is right so the thing does go,” Richards chuckled.

If he ever becomes tired during the graveyard shift, Richards is never far from a resting place.

“We have a car right here. If I ready to sleep, I go sleep for a bit… Is three of us, and we does manage,” he laughed.

Richards further stated that he is not at all afraid of the threat of persons robbing him, stating that a number of policemen from the Central Police Station are some of his most frequent customers.

“Me na really’ fraid that man. Police always patrolling here. They always dey here, you know…,” he said.

Richards, a vendor of over 15 years, disclosed that peanuts are his best selling product during the wee hours of the morning.

“Most people seem to stop here on nighttimes for parched nuts. If you notice that me done bag out some already,” Richards stated, adding that farine is his best sold product during the day.

According to Richards, some of his produce are imported, but he stated that he purchases most of them from the locals on the Leeward and Windward sides of the island.

Richards is, however, not someone who likes to be in one spot for too long, stating that he often does his vending at various functions around the country.

“I does go all over and sell. I do whatever it takes,” he added.

Richards also sent a message for those persons who sit back and wait for things to be handed to them.

“You have to put your mind to it. Only when you do that, things will happen for you… This is my main source of income and I just trying to make it happen,” said the father of two.