Royal Castle sells the most expensive cherry juice in the world

Aug 26, 2019 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

People would meet me all the time to say that I should not be so hard on Guyana. I would tell them, I love the country just as much as they do, but it is my duty to write to inform my fellow Guyanese about the esoteric, unreasonable, unbelievable, incredible, unusual, extraordinary, awful, sordid, unreasonable, unfair, nasty, indecent, immoral, unjust things that happen in my country.
Why should I not inform people that only in Guyana, compared to other countries, you will encounter this and that? I see it as my obligation to my fellow Guyanese and to my readers.
I was on the seawall, and in response to my wife’s call to buy a bottle of instant coffee, I chose Mattai’s Supermarket, because it was closest to where I was. There was no fast lane. The lines were filled with shoppers whose baskets were overflowing with lots of items.
So I did a column on my experience. One day, I was in the same supermarket and the wife of the owner engaged me on what I wrote. I stood my ground, even though my wife kept subtly pinching my leg. That indicates that I should not argue. But I endured the pain and defended my column. It was during the Christmas season where shoppers would be plentiful. But a supermarket at that time of the year should have a fast lane. Why should you wait in line behind persons whose trolleys are filled with dozens of products just to pay for two items?
There was nothing personal in writing about Mattai’s. I was doing my journalistic duty. There is a supermarket on Sheriff Street named “Survival.” The owner doesn’t like when I write about my experience in his business place. A few months ago, he said to me, “Mr. Freddie, you should not do those things, man.” I let him know that I have my work to do. Each Wednesday, Survival has a seven percent discount day, and there would be a deluge of shoppers, but there is no fast lane. I avoid Survival on Wednesdays like the plague.
There is this new guy in town; “Coss Cutters.” That is the latest supermarket on Sherriff Street. I did a column a few days ago on what I discovered there. I was under the impression that prices would be below what prevails at other retail stores. I got the shock of my life when a tin of cat food was one hundred dollars more. When I went back there, some of the employees said, “Mr. Kissoon, you shouldn’t have done that.”
I come now to the Royal Castle fast food restaurant on Sheriff Street. Anyone who knows even a little about my life, is aware that I live a working class life. Without exception, I eat at working class restaurants and my choice is always Creole food. I know the cost of fruit juices at those places. A 12-ounce cup of juice is never in the vicinity of $300. So on Friday night, I ran into Leonard Craig, a good friend who was doing his doctorate abroad. I didn’t know he was back. He told me that he returned just a few days ago. So I suggested we stop at Royal Castle because we were driving right in that area.
I ordered two cups of cherry juice. I was literally shocked to know that the twelve-ounce cups of juice cost $500 each. Then one has to take into consideration that the cup is filled with ice. I think we got 8 ounces of juice for $500. Given the exchange rate, a cup of juice at Royal Castle is three American dollars. Wow! This is Guyana, where the incredible occurs.
I know of no place in and out of Georgetown where I have bought local juices, that a plastic cup of juice, even where you are served in a 16-ounce cup, costs $500. I guess at the five-star hotels that is what they charge, but not at the fast food outlets. You don’t have to be a researcher to know that working-class people patronise those fast food places, so the question is; can a mother afford to take three children to have a lunch and pay $500 for a twelve-ounce glass of local fruit juice?
I fully accept that it is the right of Royal Castle to charge what they feel is a right price. But in the context of our economy, can the ordinary man and woman afford to eat at these fast food restaurants? There is a place on Robb Street, Bourda, called Jerry’s that sells monkey apple juice. How much for a glass of that?
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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Royal Castle sells the most expensive cherry juice in the world

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