A walkabout in Kampung Kacang Puteh in Buntong, here, found that the industrial area, which is run by locals, was crowded with people out to get their supplies of sweets and murukku to celebrate Deepavali back in their hometowns.

Fourth-generation entrepreneur T Seenivasagan, 27, said more people, including tourists, were coming to his shop to buy his products.

The owner of Selvam Malar Enterprise, which has been operating for more than 100 years, said among the best-selling products ahead of the Deepavali celebrations were the regular murukku, achi murukku and other types of cookies.

“We are happy that business has recovered and sales revenue has increased by 70%, which is three times higher than during the lockdown period,” he said.

Seenivasagan, who is assisted by his wife, G Ellil Vinootteni, 27, had earlier been forced to cut the working hours of two of his employees to stabilise expenses and operating costs, even though the premises were open from 9am to 8pm.

But now, he has employed several new workers after orders started pouring in.

Seenivasagan said the additional staff were needed to help in making, packing and selling the products at the premises, which is now open until 10.30pm to cater to more than 3,000 orders for assorted nuts, murukku and cookies.

He said he also has to entertain more walk-in customers every day.

Seenivasagan said the secret ingredients for his traditional items had been passed down from previous generations.

He had also expanded his range of items to more than 40. They include his best-selling kerepek ubi (potato chips), pakkavada and mixed bag of chips.

Prior to this, sales at Kampung Kacang Puteh, which is often the destination of choice for tourists to the city to get various types of snacks run by locals for decades, were reported to have declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic and interstate travel ban.