In 2023, a video of vendor Alice Waugh cleaning herself after defecating at her food stall led to the closure of Crab Circle at Heroes Circle in Kingston.
The video, which was recorded by another vendor, quickly went viral after it was released online and ignited a massive backlash. The popular crab and soup spot was declared closed shortly after by the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) and the public health department.
After being fined $250,000 for breaching the Public Health Act, Waugh has made a controversial return to Crab Circle amid scepticism from some of the other vendors. One female vendor expressed anger and frustration about Waugh’s return while speaking with the Jamaica Star.
“She a mash up di place because once di people dem see har bleach-out face, nuhbody nuh wah buy nutten… Dah woman coming like a crawsis to backside!” the vendor said.
According to the woman, one of her customers of three years said he would not return after seeing Waugh back at Crab Circle. The vendor shared that she has just begun to see an uptick in sales after the incident with Waugh in 2023.
However, Waugh appeared unfazed by the woman’s statements while speaking with the Star.
“All who nuh wah mi deh yah, a fi dem business dat… A nuh dem come out yah come see mi? Nuhbody else nuh have nuh problem wid mi… a she alone a talk,” Waugh stated.
She went on to state that she has acquired all the necessary paperwork to operate her business at the location. She was previously banned from the area.
Despite Waugh guaranteeing that she is operating legally, Robert Hill, CEO of the KSAMC, said that an investigation will be conducted to verify if the veteran vendor indeed has the proper documents.
