Visitors throng food courts and games centers at malls

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The prolonged Idul Fitri holiday and the absence of housemaids, who have returned to their hometowns, have made families to flock to malls in the capital to dine in and take children to the games centers available inside the malls.

The number of visitors has been increasing compared to regular days.

International fast food chains, restaurants and food courts at Atrium Plaza Senen in Central Jakarta, Blok M Plaza and Pasaraya Grande in South Jakarta were packed by people queuing up during lunch time.

Rubi, a staffer with a local franchise restaurant at Blok M Plaza, said on Thursday that such an increase in the number of visitors has been taken place annually during Idul Fitri holidays.

"However, compared to last year's holiday, the number of visitors this year was only a slight increase," he said.

Every year, many families swarm restaurants and food courts to have meals as their domestic helpers go home to celebrate Idul Fitri, which fell on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26. With only supermarkets operating during the holiday, as many vendors at traditional markets also went home, families preferred to dine out instead of cook.

Rubi failed to provide the number of visitors as he said only the management could give the figure but they would only resume working on Monday.

At Pasaraya Grande food courts, some families even had to stand for a while before they could get seats to enjoy their meals.

Besides dining, parents also used their time with their children at the amusement center inside the malls.

"After spending their money on clothes to celebrate Idul Fitri, parents now bring their children to dine or to enjoy the amusement center," said Ingrid, an attendant at the Blok M Plaza.

Most malls now offer various kinds of toys and games to children from merry-go-rounds, video games to bumper cars.

Agus, a staff member at the games center at Atrium Plaza, said that the number of visitors had doubled compared to other holiday seasons, like school holiday.

"The number of visitors peaked on Wednesday, a day after the Idul Fitri," he said, adding that more than 300 visitors came to the games center every day on regular holidays.

Hartono, a father of two who came all the way from Cileungsi, Bogor, said that he decided to take his two children to Senen because they had visited other recreational sites in the capital.

"I had taken my children to visit the Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta, Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta and the Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta, during previous Idul Fitri holidays," he said.

"But visiting a games center like this is a new experience for them," he added.