In June 2025, people were shocked to hear that Tropical Hut along Quezon Avenue was going to close down. The fast food place was going to stay open, but the supermarket was folding. We used to do a lot of our grocery shopping at Tropical Hut, so naturally, I thought of going there to take videos of the place on June 30.
When we got there, the place was looking dismal, as it has been for the past several years. The staff were all understandably feeling low; I think they were blindsided by the announcement of the closure. Because they weren’t going to make it to the end of the year, they decided to play Christmas songs on what they thought would be the supermarket’s last day. The music may be jolly, but the atmosphere definitely wasn’t.
Walking around the place, you could see that it needs a lot of work. The air conditioners were old, some parts of the ceiling were held together with duct tape, the lighting was dim, the signage was old—I know that keeping a business together takes more than improving its looks, but that could also help in this case, I think.
If I remember correctly, management of Tropical Hut had been taken over by the Mercury Drug corporation. It’s a good thing that Tropical Hut the fast food place has started getting popular again, but I can’t say the same about the supermarket. Which is sad because I really feel that legacy brands need to stay alive.
About a day after our visit to Tropical Hut, it was announced that the supermarket was NOT going to close after all, which must have come as a huge relief to the staff. Many of the stores outside the buildings have also stayed open. But for how long? I can’t say.
