Sitting in a camping chair, Alex Martinez is first in line for Randy’s Jamaican patty shop reopening. The 33-year-old arrived at 6:30 a.m., ahead of the 11 a.m. grand opening, with unfinished business.
In February 2022, the family-run Little Jamaica patty shop announced its sudden closure after 40 years in business, citing aging owners, ongoing LRT construction, labour shortages and the pandemic. With just three days notice, hundreds of people including Martinez lined up hoping to get one last box of spicy beef patties.