It is the time of GST. Many businesses are collapsing from the burdens of the new tax, with F&B businesses being no exception. A walk through the streets will discover a number of abandoned restaurants and cafes across the country--but strangely, plenty of new economy rice establishments.
These humble eateries, once found only as little stalls by the road or in traditional coffee shops, are now beginning to gain momentum and are having whole shoplots to themselves. Eating mixed rice is now a far more comfortable affair, with air conditioning and better chairs.
The new breed of mixed rice businesses are also offering drinks and soup of the day for free. For many Malaysians, these places are now their preferred place for their meals of the day.
GST時代降臨，坊間不少老店小店應聲而倒，食店也一樣，上街走一圈，常會發現這家餐廳關門了，那家咖啡館拉上大閘掛上偌大的“to let”黃色布條。再隔些日子，又發現街上多了幾家雜飯專賣店。
人們阮囊羞澀，雜飯檔也趁勢而起，近一兩年來，這庶民之吃登堂入室，不再棲身路邊攤、茶室或小販中心，而是堂堂正正開店，打正“雜飯專賣店”的旗號出擊。
這也意味著吃經濟飯的環境變舒服了，有冷氣，有像餐廳一樣的桌椅。
此外，茶水自便，附送每日例湯，一日三餐都可以在此解決。這庶民之吃，經濟實惠，隨性自然，滿漢全席也難相比啊！
