Suryat had been waiting for customers at his tempe (soybean cake) stall at Cipete market in South Jakarta since 6:00 a.m.
"Only a few customers have come to buy my tempe today, I wonder where the others are," he said over the weekend.
Weekends are normally peak times for market vendors, but not for those at Cipete. Suryat said the market had seen fewer buyers since it was renovated three years ago.
"Of course, many people still come here, but the number is getting smaller day by day. Perhaps they prefer to go to the supermarkets near here," he said.
The middle-aged man has spent almost his entire life as a tempe seller at Cipete. He says he cannot imagine doing anything else.
"I've been here since the market was still small and dirty before the government decided to temporarily close it down for renovation. Now we have a proper clean market to work in," he added.
Cipete market has tile floors and every seller is allocated a table on which to display their merchandise.
However, much to the puzzlement of the traders there, the renovation has not lured more customers, rather the opposite.
