TRADITIONAL jerk vendors in Morant Bay, St Thomas, are reporting a decline in their business since fast food giant KFC officially opened its historic first restaurant in the parish in January this year.

But the vendors say while sales are down they are not being squeezed out of the business which, for years, has attracted residents of the parish as well as scores of people passing through the town.

One jerk pork vendor, who gave his name only as Johnny, last Thursday told the Jamaica Observer that while his business remains open, “it’s not as warm as it once was”.

Johnny, who also works as a butcher, said the business has slowed down and the increase in sales he normally sees during holiday periods did not materialise this year.

The KFC store in Morant Bay, St Thomas, decorated ahead of its official opening on Saturday, January 17, 2026. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

He told the Sunday Observer that before KFC opened its doors he would prepare some 30 pounds of pork each day and most times it would “sell out”.

According to Johnny, he now prepares about 20 pounds of pork daily and even that amount is not always completely sold.

He pointed out that even his children sometimes ask for chicken from KFC.

“So I have to go in there and spend to buy what they want,” said Johnny, who added that he continues to receive support from loyal customers who prefer his jerked pork.

Another jerk vendor, who requested anonymity, said the arrival of KFC would naturally result in some loss of business for local food operators, but he does not believe it poses a major threat.

“I don’t know, it would be a downgrade in a sense because most people gravitate towards the KFC and dem business deh,” the vendor said as he told the Sunday Observer that there had been “a slight drop-off” in his business since KFC opened.

“It’s gradually going down, but sometimes it’s up again,” the vendor said, even as he underscored that he welcomes the presence of the immensely popular KFC.

He pointed to the demand for employment opportunities and development in the parish, and described KFC’s arrival as a positive development for the integrated industrial and commercial complex dubbed the Morant Bay Urban Centre.

“People need jobs as well, so I would say it’s a good thing,” the vendor said.

KFC invested $350 million to establish its Morant Bay restaurant which provides jobs for more than 50 people.

The store was warmly received by several residents of St Thomas with one person describing the opening as “a wonderful and historic moment for the parish”.

At the official opening in January, Mark Myers, managing director of Restaurants of Jamaica — the operators of the KFC franchise locally — said the decision to locate in Morant Bay was deliberate and rooted in confidence in the area’s potential.

“This opening is about more than adding another restaurant to the network. It reflects a deliberate decision to invest in communities beyond Kingston and to grow in places where opportunity and potential continue to emerge.

“When plans for the Morant Bay Urban Centre were first taking shape we saw an opportunity to be part of something transformational. We want to participate in the continued development of this parish, to invest early and to grow alongside the community — [and] that conviction is what brought us here,” Myers said then.