Small restaurants serve more fish, meat during bird flu outbreak<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik and Dyah Apsari
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
With customers significantly reducing their chicken consumption
\ndue to bird flu, small restaurant owners across the capital are
\nputting more fish and meat on the menu to compensate for the loss
\nof sales over the past several weeks.<\/p>\n
\"We only sold several pieces of chicken yesterday. Based on
\nthat experience, we have decided to serve more fish, meat and
\ntofu,\" Afrizal, 33, a Padang restaurant owner in Slipi, West
\nJakarta, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.<\/p>\n
He said that his customers have been preferring fish and meat
\nto chicken since news about bird flu broke some three weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Anto, 42, an owner of a small Tegal restaurant in Warung
\nBuncit, South Jakarta, also said that he was now offering more
\nseafood, including fish, shrimp and squid, as well as meat, tofu
\nand soybean cake.<\/p>\n
He said that although he had assured his customers that he had
\ncooked the chicken properly, they still avoided it.<\/p>\n
\"Chicken sales dropped by more than half. Previously we sold
\nsix chickens every day, but now we only sell two. Most of our
\ncustomers know that if we cook the chicken properly the virus
\nwill die. But I think they just don't want to take the risk,\" he
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
Many chicken sellers in several traditional markets in Jakarta
\nhave been complaining about the drop in sales.<\/p>\n
In Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, sellers have asked the
\ngovernment to intensify campaigns to show that eating chicken was
\nsafe if cooked properly.<\/p>\n
\"Previous campaigns were effective in boosting our sales. We
\nwant the government to do that again,\" said trader Samlawi.<\/p>\n
At the height of bird flu outbreak in June, several government
\nofficials, including Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, launched a high-
\nprofile campaign to show the public that eating chicken was safe.<\/p>\n
However, for some larger restaurants that serve chicken as
\ntheir main dish, the avian influenza issue has had little impact
\non their sales.<\/p>\n
Many said that they had implemented several actions to inform
\nthe public that their products were safe to consume and free from
\nthe disease.<\/p>\n
Adi S. Tjahya, spokesmen for the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)
\nfast food franchise, said: \"We've been educating our staff about
\nbird flu, and about the safety of our product. Hence when
\ncostumers ask about it, our staff can give satisfactory
\nexplanations.\"<\/p>\n
He added that every KFC outlet across the country were hanging
\ngiant posters explaining their standardized cooking processes and
\nquality control to ensure that their products were safe for
\nconsumers.<\/p>\n
Ujang Suganda, an employee at Ayam Kalasan Restaurant, also
\nsaid that bird flu has had an insignificant impact as every one
\nof the their employees was ready to explain the restaurant's
\ncooking processes to customers.<\/p>",
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