Former Crab Circle vendor finds new spot

Crab vendor Nadine Francis is now back in business after leaving her spot at Crab Circle - where she sold for more than 15 years - as she no longer felt comfortable there.

Francis, who gained popularity for exposing her fellow vendor's unsanitary practices at the street food hotspot, told THE STAR that she knew she would feel uncomfortable and unsafe if she had returned and vowed never to go back.

"Mi not going back there! Mi wah be happy now. From last year mi deserve fi comfortable weh mi deh. Dat a last year thing and this year thing mi need fi move on wid mi life. Mi need to be happy," Francis said.

Since the popular spot, which is known for its crabs, corn soup and roast yam, was closed for nearly two months last October, Francis has experienced some negative reaction to her whistleblowing actions. In a recent video posted on social media, Francis claimed that she had been threatened by a fellow Crab Circle vendor. Before that she posted a video on social media showing that the faucet at her stall had been removed. However, when THE STAR visited the vendors in January, they claimed had nothing to do with that and just wanted to move forward.

That still did not convince Francis, and for the last two weeks, she has been selling at Mountain View Avenue in Kingston where she said she now feels happy and safe.

"Mi comfortable, di people dem a Mountain View, mi a tell yuh, I never see such a loving set a people. Dem mek mi comfortable, yuh have some nice people a Mountain View," Francis said. Prior to moving her business to the area, Francis said she had no other means of income and found herself in a difficult financial situation.

"Fi di four months mi deh home, full a bills, depress and everything," she said. However, now that Francis is back in business, she is in high spirits.

"Fi di little time mi deh a road and mi have people fi talk to and all a them things deh, it kinda just mek mi feel different. Suh mi thank the people dem weh a come out and look fi mi, weh a really search fi mi and people them weh just a know mi and a support mi," Francis said.