Small fruit and veggie stores closing? Coincidence?

Went away for 2-weeks and when I returned, I found the small fruit/veggie store near the bus station was closed; a few days later, I saw a "for rent sign on it. The woman who rant it was very, very nice and the merchandise was good and nicely priced.

Today in Ajijic, I saw the small fruit and veggies store, 2 doors east of Mia's was also closed. Then coming home, I noted that the small fruit/veggie seller that worked out of a truck across the main drag from the Monday market/Tiangias was gone.

Coincidence or ???

Went away for a year and upon my return a whole bunch of restos had closed, transformed, yadayada. Just Chilin is outa here. Coincidence ??? Maybe not.

borderreiver wrote:Went away for a year and upon my return a whole bunch of restos had closed, transformed, yadayada. Just Chilin is outa here. Coincidence ??? Maybe not.

What struck me was the lady we knew never said a word about closing/moving. I thought maybe there was some (new) law on something that closed them down.

I see the same thing as you said w/restaurants.

I thik that's often the case when prices are high and quality of not near the value to price, or both.

Look at Salvador's in Ajijic; it's been around forever; good prices, good food; good service and over the last few years, has raised the ambiance outside just enough to let the people that want enjoy the open air (and smoke I guess).

Same thing with veggie vendors. BTW, the place next to Mia's has been closed for many months, not recently.

borderreiver wrote:Went away for a year and upon my return a whole bunch of restos had closed, transformed, yadayada. Just Chilin is outa here. Coincidence ??? Maybe not.

Not. Doncha think?

I have seen some print re Chapala demonstrations over street vendor licencing, permits, permit payments, corrupt officials collecting permit fees and absconding, blah, blah. The lady vendor in Chapala, maybe she'd had enough. Not much margin in fruit and veg. 40 % waste, etc. I do not envy small biz owners here. Support them if U can.

borderreiver wrote:I have seen some print re Chapala demonstrations over street vendor licencing, permits, permit payments, corrupt officials collecting permit fees and absconding, blah, blah. The lady vendor in Chapala, maybe she'd had enough. Not much margin in fruit and veg. 40 % waste, etc. I do not envy small biz owners here. Support them if U can.

I almost always choose a local vendor over Soriana, Walmart, Superlake and/or El Torito. Not only do I believe the quality is as good or better, the prices are usually lower, and the people running these small places are usually "Mom and Pop" (and kids) so the money gets right into their hands.

My only exception are the tianguis vendors. While the prices are usually good, many won't let you pick and choose the items you want (say strawberries and grapes), and I have found several times that I have been short-weighted when the beam scales are used.

Your turn Lady.

SuperLake and El Torito are locally owned and operated, just larger operations than what I imagine you are referring to as, "Mom and Pop", but family members are involved and the money gets right into their hands.
Keep looking for the smallest abarrotes and spread the wealth around.  I remember when SuperLake was 3 or 4 meters of frontage and no walk into space.  It was Uncle, Pop, and Son.....no Mom.

It all comes from the abastos so the quality depends on the fresness and turn over not on the provenance of the product..I also remember SL when they did not throw any old stuff out, when I first arrived I was appallled at teh quality of fruit and veggies there.

Thirty years ago, IF (and that's a big if) any abarrote threw anything out it would be picked and sold somewhere else.

My favorite neighborhood abbarote has a small selection of lovely fruits and vegetables. Not only is his produce nicer but prices are better than at Soriana. AND he carries my bags out to my car too.

We found a little place on Guadaloupe (I think that is the name). It is on the mountain side somewhere one or two short blocks past Javier Mina. They keep brocolli and several other items in the fridge.

Guadaloupe is a French island not a street in Ajijic.

Folks sometimes small businesses go away cause the government gets involved and they can't afford or even know how to be legal. 16% IVA tax, IIMS tax, Business license, income tax, union tax. Its an interesting experience to talk to a local business owner trying to be legal and what they have to do. Notice we have not even talked about local business blackmail from gangs (versus government gang and legal blackmail !!! :-)

Tis true. A common misconception is that it is easy to open a (legal) business in Mexico. With the latest crackdown on money laundering and tax collection it has become quite cumbersome and complicated for the "mom & pop" operations to collect taxes, produce facturas and remit to Hacienda's.

and Hacienda can go into your account and check your accounts. It just happened to a friend of mine. No need for court order..

If you want to run a small business legally you need to get facturas for everything and that in itself is not easy. Think of getting a factura for all you buy all your expenses and good luk on that one.. If you have any kid helping you , you have to pay him as an empoyee and follow all the laws etc..not easy in a country where a lot of the economy is cash and underground..

And yet there are hundreds of small businesses in the Municipio of Chapala.  Just count the ones (shops, etc,) from one end of Madero to the other in Chapala, or Colon and adjoining streets in Ajijic.

Service and other businesses operating out of private residences.....much more underground.

I think that the libertarian element here are overstating what a "mom&pop" needs to do to be legal.

yes they are hundreds of small businesses so some people have it figured it out obviously ..

Legally?? I doubt it. Try to figure out how to pay IIMS tax on your gardener or mini mistro for your house?? How do you pay 16% IVA tax on your rented furnished house?? Business license?? Income tax?? I know local business owners and they told me they use accountants/lawyers/notaries to do this. It use to be much easier to do small business accounting now it is hard. Most landlords will not give out facturas so if you rent you can't deduct the cost of rent so you are very limitied on where you can rent. I wouldn't run a legal business in Mexico because it is so hard to know what to do and where to do it and we are only talking about legal stuff. Can you imagine what it feels like (unless you grew up in NY or Chicago) to have some local gang demand money???

Doing business in Mexico is hard without help.

Z

Brigette never said " legally." She said they "have it figured out obviously."

Ummm. I think the extortionists are not 'local' gangs, if they came from Ajijic or Chapala they would be recognized. I think they come from the westend, south shore, and Michoacan and they don't play around.

Most of my friends are indigenous and they do have accountants to pay the taxes and advise them. Some other are high up in the government and they never talk about having problems with taxes or money for that matter, I guess they have figured it out too...

Lady Otter Latté wrote:Brigette never said " legally." She said they "have it figured out obviously."

Never said she did. See post above hers.