Kumar, owner of the 16-year old super popular TG’s Nasi Kandar in Tengkat Tong Shin, the quieter road parallel to Jalan Alor, gave the low-down of how KL businesses are so badly hit in KL. His own Airbnb business is dead.
His neighbor owner of 12Fly Hotel is barely surviving, mainly because he owns the whole building, if not he admitted he would have to close shop as he would not be able to pay the rent, salaries and overheads.
The nearby hotels appropriately named Corona Inn and Alpha Genesis Hotel (next to Changkat) remained closed and Dior Hotel have only 10% occupancy.
Corona Inn Kuala Lumpur - KL Magazine

Corona Inn – not a good name during coronavirus pandemic like Corona Beer.

Another hotel in Pudu, opened the first floor of 10 floors, only 8 rooms were occupied from 12 rooms on the first floor.

6 restaurants had closed shop for good in Jalan Alor.

 

Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bar Street, KL City Shop for rent in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur | iProperty.com.my

Changkat Bukit Bintang in normal times.

A walk along Changkat Bukit Bintang the hip and happening street in KL, business was very slow, big discounts are on offer, the row of massage outlets up the Changkat had no customers.

A money changer friend of his, only managed to have RM800 per day transaction when it tried to open for 2 weeks in July.

Kumar himself managed to get a 6 month rental reduction from RM32,000 pm to RM18,000, but come September it’s back to full rental, but he didn’t retrench any of his 20 full time foreign workers, and RMCO is expected to be continued with borders closed to new foreign visitors. TG’s barely makes RM2,500 per day nowadays – below break even point.

Kumar thinks that the Mamak stores in suburbs such as Kepong, Sentul, Setapak whose customers are mainly nearby residents, and don’t rely on foreigners, are doing fine.

A survey conducted by the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) has revealed that 25 percent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will likely cease operations if the country is hit with another wave of Covid-19.

Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/537649

Written: Robert Chaen

Published: 7th August 2020.

On the ground Business Assessment from TG’s Nasi Kandar owner, next to Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur’s most famous food street. It’s so bad.