After more than half a century, Yano’s Market is closing its doors for good. The well-known local market that has been selling local food products since it opened its doors in 1957 announced on its Facebook page that it will be closing on Saturday, September 9, 2023, for good.
“It has been our pleasure serving the community for so long, and with that comes a heavy heart in letting our customers know that as of Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 5 p.m., Yano’s Market will be closing its doors for the final time,” stated the announcement on Yano’s Market Facebook page.
Although the announcement does not explain the cause of the closure, some family members shared that the current harsh economic conditions have driven the business to close.
Overwhelming responses to the message on Facebook and other social media platforms reveal how much of a shock the announcement was to the public, and many expressed sorrow and loss over the closure of the iconic business.
But it’s not only Yano’s Market; another well-known mom&pop store, SaveMore in Airai, closed recently. A place where local food of nearly every kind can also be found closed its doors.
The small local market retailers serve local and foreign clientele with local food products and are big buyers of local food from local makit producers. They provided outlets for many small local producers, primarily women, who make prepackaged foods for income. The closures will impact the women who depend on these outlets to sell their products, their source of livelihood.
I’M SHOCKED AND SADDENED TO LEARN OF “YANO’S” MARKET CLOSING TODAY 9/9/23. I’M MUCH OLDER THAN “YANO’S” MARKET , AND REMEMBER GROWING UP WITH MY MOM GOING THERE REGULARLY TO BUY LOCAL FOODS FOR THE FAMILY. I KNOW MY SIBLINGS AND I DID THE SAME FOR OUR FAMILIES WHEN WE GREW UP. AFTER I MOVED OUT OF PALAU, EACH TIME I CAME HOME, YANO’S WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACE I VISITED, AND THE LAST STOP BEFORE DEPARTURE, FOR SOME LOCAL FOODS, WHICH WERE ALWAYS AVAILABLE, RESONABLY PRICED, AND DELICIOUS. THANK YOU TO ALL THE ‘YANOSANG’S’ CHILDREN WHO KEPT THEIR PARENTS’S DREAM GOING FOR ALL THESE YEARS. MESULANG!
Yano’s Market is a well known Food Market everytime I pass thru Palau..Thank you Yano for your great service