In May 2020, doubles stalls at Debe Junction in Trinidad and Tobago reopened after lockdown. Only four of ten operated, for takeaway service. Marks on the floor indicated physical distance, barriers created space for a line before the counters, and staff explicitly told impatient customers to wait their turn rather than cluster.
Doubles—curried chickpeas between two fried breads—are valued as a quick and affordable breakfast or lunch. The reopened stalls therefore had to redesign the speed they normally sold. While one vendor kept the price at five dollars, marks on the ground taught a new ordering ritual: fast food obtained slowly, one spaced customer at a time.