Visitors flock food courts, games centers<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The prolonged Idul Fitri holiday and the absence of housemaids,
\nwho have returned to their hometowns, have made families to flock
\nto malls in the capital to dine in and take children to the games
\ncenters available inside the malls.<\/p>\n
The number of visitors has been increasing compared to regular
\ndays.<\/p>\n
International fast food chains, restaurants and food courts at
\nAtrium Plaza Senen in Central Jakarta, Blok M Plaza and Pasaraya
\nGrande in South Jakarta were packed by people queuing up during
\nlunch time.<\/p>\n
Rubi, a staffer with a local franchise restaurant at Blok M
\nPlaza, said on Thursday that such an increase in the number of
\nvisitors has been taken place annually during Idul Fitri
\nholidays.<\/p>\n
"However, compared to last year's holiday, the number of
\nvisitors this year was only a slight increase," he said.<\/p>\n
Every year, many families swarm restaurants and food courts to
\nhave meals as their domestic helpers go home to celebrate Idul
\nFitri, which fell on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26. With only supermarkets
\noperating during the holiday, as many vendors at traditional
\nmarkets also went home, families preferred to dine out instead of
\ncook.<\/p>\n
Rubi failed to provide the number of visitors as he said only
\nthe management could give the figure but they would only resume
\nworking on Monday.<\/p>\n
At Pasaraya Grande food courts, some families even had to
\nstand for a while before they could get seats to enjoy their
\nmeals.<\/p>\n
Besides dining, parents also used their time with their
\nchildren at the amusement center inside the malls.<\/p>\n
"After spending their money on clothes to celebrate Idul
\nFitri, parents now bring their children to dine or to enjoy the
\namusement center," said Ingrid, an attendant at the Blok M Plaza.<\/p>\n
Most malls now offer various kinds of toys and games to
\nchildren from merry-go-rounds, video games to bumper cars.<\/p>\n
Agus, a staff member at the games center at Atrium Plaza, said
\nthat the number of visitors had doubled compared to other holiday
\nseasons, like school holiday.<\/p>\n
"The number of visitors peaked on Wednesday, a day after the
\nIdul Fitri," he said, adding that more than 300 visitors came to
\nthe games center every day on regular holidays.<\/p>\n
Hartono, a father of two who came all the way from Cileungsi,
\nBogor, said that he decided to take his two children to Senen
\nbecause they had visited other recreational sites in the capital.<\/p>\n
"I had taken my children to visit the Ancol Dreamland Park in
\nNorth Jakarta, Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta and the Indonesia in
\nMiniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta, during previous Idul Fitri
\nholidays," he said.<\/p>\n
"But visiting a games center like this is a new experience for
\nthem," he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/visitors-flock-food-courts-games-centers-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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