With rising food prices, it is almost impossible to purchase a chicken or beef roti with $10, much less a satisfying box of food.
But at Tumpuna Road in Arima that’s exactly what you can get at Ms Ann’s Roti Shop.
Juliette Carter-Baldwin also fondly called “Ms Ann” or “Annie” has been selling dhalpuri and paratha roti for $10 since September 2017.
If you want to add pumpkin, mango or bodhi it would cost you an additional $2 a side.
“I do it really for the love of helping others. I love to feed people and it brings me joy and peace.
“Times are hard. People cannot afford food these days,” she told the Business Guardian magazine.
But how is this at all possible and is it that caterers and those in the food business over pricing their items with huge markups?
According to the former kindergarten teacher, who also operated a school at her home for 25 years, businesses can make a greater effort to help those facing trying circumstances, especially when it comes to food.
And in this vein, Carter-Baldwin is also encouraging other establishments to perhaps even rethink their business model particularly as the country is experiencing challenging economic times.
“I personally feel business people are too greedy. You can make money and help people but you don’t have to sell your stuff so expensive. I might be causing some rift by saying that but it’s the truth about me,” Carter-Baldwin further explained that the bottom line should not just be about making “100 per cent profit.”
A basic meal at any random food outlet costs around $50 to $60 and Carter-Baldwin noted.
She said her business has been able to flourish partly because she has minimal overhead expenses as her kitchen is ideally located at her home.
However, Carter-Baldwin admitted that her grocery bill has seen price increases in basic items such as chicken, tin peas and flour.
“The 100 pound bag of flour was $244 about two months ago. Friday (last week) when I went to the grocery and that is one of the cheapest places in Arima, it is $292,” Carter-Baldwin said, as she, like many others, are concerned about the rising cost for food in T&T.
But this has not prevented Carter-Baldwin from churning out her famous $10 meals, primarily her roti due to continuous high demand.
In January this year, Carter-Baldwin increased her menu offerings with her lunches that also start at $10 for her popular “snack box” sizes that includes items like fried or vegetable rice, macaroni pie, pigeon peas and stewed chicken, topped with a fresh salad.
The meals change daily and there are also bigger portions for $20 and $30.
Sharing her business acumen, Carter-Baldwin said, “I believe if you sell something at a cheaper rate you can get more. You make more money than if you sell something at an expensive rate and sell less of it. That is my motto.
“Despite the high prices once I sell my stuff at an affordable price and people feel they get their money’s worth, they keep coming and people just keep on coming.”
During the height of the pandemic and with Government’s twice-imposed restrictions, Ms Ann’s Roti Shop hit an obvious snag.
“We had to lockdown but we survived and we are doing fine since then,” Carter-Baldwin said, explaining that the business was able to quickly recover.
Now with operations back to normal it is booming once again.
In fact, on any given day Carter-Baldwin sells around 25 lunches and between 100 to 150 roti.
“We start serving lunch around 12 and by 12.15 to 12.30 all our lunches are gone. Once we post the food on Facebook people call and order ahead.
“We have absolutely no wastage of food,” she added.
However, Carter-Baldwin’s day’s work does not end there.
She then has to prep for her numerous catering jobs as her $10 roti has become so popular that she kneads out hundreds of doughy delights weekly.
Currently employing three people, Carter-Baldwin has plans to expand her operation to cater for her growing customer base.
But she admitted, this must be done in the most cost effective and sustainable way.
“I would hope to expand but the disadvantage with that is the rent is an issue.
“When you have to pay rent and you have to pay workers, it’s going to cost more and I don’t ever want to raise my prices,” Carter-Baldwin said, emphasising that having her business at home enables her to focus on primary expenditure like equipment and foodstuff.
However, she’s not ruling out the possibility of opening another location “if the rent is reasonable.”
And despite increasing commodity costs,
Carter-Baldwin remains adamant that her prices will not be adjusted.
“I would rather close down than if I have to sell more expensive to my customers. I am never going to overcharge people for food,” she said.
