The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

JUST when members of the “Tinfoil” pop-up food vendor community were beginning to enjoy the spoils of their labour, thieves ransacked the place during the weekend lockdown.

The thieves made off with thousands of dollars’ worth of inventory and equipment.

‘Tinfoil’, located in the parking lot of the Dundas Performing Arts Centre, had just reopened a few weeks ago and customers were once again beginning to enjoy the food, drinks and artistry of that community. The discovery was made on Monday, shortly after 8am, when vendors reported to their trucks only to discover that they had been forcibly broken into.

Besides the equipment, three generators, food and beverage inventory were also stolen.

Managing director Brandon Kemp said the incident was unfortunate and the vendors now have to regroup.

“It really is unfortunate that after working so hard to stay afloat during the pandemic, these vendors now have to deal with having their livelihood stripped away from them by thieves,” Mr Kemp said. “We really have enjoyed our partnership with The Dundas and have been so appreciative of the stakeholders for working with us to provide a safe environment for our organisation. We have no doubt that along with our 125 registered vendors and partners who provide us with training, branding and support services, they will ensure we’re tooled for continued success despite this setback.”

The pop-up food community is managed by Mr Kemp, Alicia “Puppy” Robinson-Treco, and Kendrick Delaney Jr. So far they have seen tremendous growth and increased popularity over the past six months as the community’s customer base grew having diverse culinary choices.

Ms Robinson-Treco, proprietor of the Tipsea Bar, lost over $4,000.

“Upon opening we discovered that three of the trucks had been broken into,” she said. “The value of the items taken from me is somewhere around $4,000. They took my generator and inventory. Considering the amount of bulky items they stole, it’s obvious they had some time to move them.

“The thieves were very crafty and skilled. It’s a pity they cannot use their skills for something positive. I run a beverage truck and there were many opened bottles in the truck, but they decided to take all the unopened bottles, no doubt to sell. They stole my coolers as well so they might have used them to transport the inventory.”

There was evidence that the thieves also tried to make off with Ms Robinson-Treco’s refrigerator, but for some reason did not continue with it. As most of the vendors in ‘Tinfoil’ are food vendors, the bandits also stole counter top grills.

On a weekly basis, over 18 vendors pop up at the park to showcase their wares to Bahamians looking for delectable delights. This was the first time that the community has been robbed.