The Keys Market SXM
The Keys Local Market – A simple way of supporting each other
by Marlin Yard Foundation
Market Shopping
Market shopping is great fun and can be a refreshing alternative to the usual trip to the supermarket. High quality local produce, affordable fresh fruit and veggies and a warm welcome can be found at The Keys Market – so why not give it a try?
Love Your Local Market
Marlin Yard Foundation supports and leads the national Love Your Local Market campaign. This campaign aims to attract (young) market traders and also aims to highlight the importance that markets play in the heart of the local community. Not only for retail but as valuable community assets that provide the focal point of our village centres. Love Your Local Market fortnights are going to be held in The Keys. During a two week period a programme of entertainment takes place. During the Love Your Local Market fortnight budding market traders are able to take a stall for the day for just NAFL 18 at The Keys Market.
Interested in operating a market stall?
Operating a market stall is a great way to test out a new business idea or product. If you would like to take a pitch at The Keys Market then please get in touch with us by filling out this application online form. Or you will be emailed a copy. To sign up for a spot at The Keys Market click HERE.
About The Keys Market
A bit about The Keys Market – it’s an outdoor bazaar that rents space to people who want to sell or barter merchandise. Used goods, low quality items, and high quality items such as collectibles and antiques are commonly sold. The market offers fresh produce, food and or baked goods, provisions and plants from local farms and vintage clothes. Renters of the market spots are called vendors. Market vendors will be doing business at a stall or under a tent or in an Eco Business Unit (EBU – modified shipping container).
Vending sections
The Keys Market is divided in vending sections such as:
| Adult and Children Clothing & Accessories | Food Court (*policy) |
| Art, Photography & Sculpture | Fresh Produce |
| Crafts & Knitwear | Recycled, Repurposed Furniture |
| Crafters – wood, leather, glass, metal | Health & Wellness |
| Curios | Jewellery |
| Decor, Homeware & Pottery | Plants & Flowers |
| Deli, Bread & Baked Goods | Children Toys, Activities |
Further departments at The Keys Markets will be:
- Outdoor Bar/Lounge
- Public Restrooms
- Kids Playground
- First Aid- and Market Managers Office
- Recyclables depot
- Parking (public paid)
- Security patrol
We ask potential market vendors to make a choice in which section they would like to do business in.
*Food Court vendor policy
- Food vendors are to state which cuisine (food cooking style !!) they will be selling. We want to keep a variety of cuisines available to the public. For example 1x St. Maartener food, 1x Aruban, 1x Dominican food, 1x Jamaican food, 1x Guyanese food, 1x Surinamese food to name a few cuisines. However it is important to us that Food vendors distinguishes themselves from other food vendors. This is also an opportunity for the Food vendor to avoid competition.
- The Keys Market -Outdoor Bar/Lounge keeps the right to sell generic beverages such as sodas, beers and other generic alcoholic beverages. Food vendors are allowed to sell food and self-made beverages for example:
- Mauby, lemonade, juices, coffee, tea, dairy beverages,
- self made punch, originally home brewed beer/wine/rum.
Market visitors
- Local vendors for which this is an opportunity to create a business.
- Locals residing on St.Maarten/ St. Martin.
- Tourists lodging on St. Maarten/St. Martin.
- Tourists (day trip) from Cruise ship, charter boats etc
- Visitors (day trip) from neighbouring islands (e.g. Saba, Anguilla, St. Barths, Statia etc)
- Visitors (shopping holiday) from neighbouring islands (e.g. Antigua, St. Kitts, BVI etc)
Open hours & location
Depending on season, national holiday and demand to host the generic market theme, The Keys Market will be open to the public on:
Slow season: Wednesday, Saturday, every 1st Sunday of the month
High season: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, every 1st Sunday of the month
Opening hours:
- Market opens to the public at 8.00am. [for vendors gates open at 6.30am, all vendors must be on site by 8.00am].
- Market closes at 4.00pm. All items must be removed by 5.00pm.
- Exceptional 1st Sunday of the Month: all vendors must be on site by 8.00am.
Food court segment: For Food vendors this segment will be accessible from Monday through Sunday.
Open hours for the public are Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner hours.
Location: Kings of The Sea drive, Sucker Garden, UPQ
Become a vendor at The Keys Market
If you are interested in starting your own business at The Keys Market we offer several options.
Option 1 – SPOT ALLOCATION
Vendors can bring their own tables, chairs, umbrellas or tent as well and just pay for the used sq.footage / m2 on a daily or monthly basis. Renting a spot ranges from ANG 10,- to ANG 35,- per day
We allocate spots of the following sizes:
| Size | Rental price per day | Rental price per 30 days |
| 6ft x 8ft | 1.83m x 2.44m | ANG 10,- | $ 6 | ANG 216,- | $120.- |
| 9ft x 8ft | 2.74m x 2.44m | ANG 20,- | $11 | ANG 600,- | $ 333 |
| 12ft x 8ft | 3.66m x 2.44m | ANG 35,- | $ 20 | ANG 1.054,- | $ 583 |
Utilities per day
| Electricity (AMP) | ANG 10,- | $ 5.55 |
| Water | ANG 2,- | $ 1. |
| Internet | (pending) |
Option 2 – MARKET STALL RENTING
Vendors who want to work at this market but doesn’t have their own table, umbrella or tent can rent a market stall. The Keys Market offers flexible market stalls which are assembled at the beginning – and dismantled at the end of the day. The spot where these stalls are assembled are included in the rental price. These mobile stalls are made of metal components topped with a canvas and using planks creating its counter.
Specs:
Width: 6ft / 1.83m
Depth: 2ft11 / 0.90m
Height: 6ft6 / 2.00m
When renting a market stall the spot will be a total of 8ft/ 2.44m depth due to the span width from back to front of the canvas roof top.
| Size | Rental price per day | Rental price per 30 days |
| 6ft x 8ft | 1.83m x 2.44m | ANG 13 | $ 7 | ANG 390,- | $217 |
| 12ft x 8ft | 3.66m x 2.44m | ANG 25 | $ 14 | ANG 780,- | $ 433 |
Option 3 – Eco Business Unit
A section at The Keys Market site is reserved for market vendors to rent a pop-up container called Eco Business Unit (EBU). For the use of terrace space a rental fee is calculated per m2/ sq.ft a market vendor would need for their EBU.
The EBU purpose is for a pop-up business.
Eco Business Unit- Popup Container Types
Renting an EBU at The Keys Market site offers advantages such as:
- All EBU’s are designed to be self-sufficient providing their own energy supply.
- Will be part of The Keys Market waste management system.
- The EBU is modular, units can be extended and stacked.
- They remain mobile, they can be relocated any time!
- Great steel structures which makes fabricating a business accommodation fast and cheaper than conventional construction.
- Earthquake and Hurricane challenged (triple anchoring system) and Fire resistant.
Our department www.hoomstreet.com construct different EBU’s for different business purposes. Here are a few options:
- Office
- Pop-up Restaurant
- Pop-up Bar/ Coffee shop
- Pop-up Juice bars
- Hair & Nail Salon
- Massage Salon
- Display (clothing, art, crafts, candy store etc)
- Bakery
- Workshop (bicycle, shoemaker, jewellery repair shop etc)
EBU sizes and units
We offer the following EBU sizes [Length x Width x Height]:
- 10ft x 8ft x 8ft6 | 304 cm x 244 cm x 262 cm
- 20ft x 8ft x 8ft6 | 606 cm x 244 cm x 262 cm
EBU spots
There are currently 24 spots for vendors to reserve:
- EBU 10ft = 8 spots on ground floor
- EBU 20ft = 8 spots on ground floor
- EBU 20ft = 8 spots on 1st floor
EBU Lease options
The Keys Market offers business owners to lease an EBU. A monthly fee of ANG 67,- per exta used m2 / ANG 6.25 per extra used sq.foot is calculated. This fee acts as a monthly service fee allowing the EBU owner to be hooked up to The Keys Market facilities and maintenance schedules.
The following fees applies:
| Unit price per month | |||
| Unit type | Unit count | ANG | USD |
| 10ft (20ftGP-split) | 8 | ANG 678 | $377 |
| 20ft – ground floor short side service hatch | 4 | ANG 1.129 | $627 |
| 20ft – ground floor long side service hatch | 4 | ANG 1.265 | $703 |
| 20ft – 1st floor with sliding door | 4 | ANG 1.446 | $803 |
| 20ft – 1st floor with terrace | 4 | ANG 1.855 | $1.031 |
| 20ft – L & W EBU | 2 | ANG 2.801 | $1.556 |
Surface m2/ft are rounded off. Fees are a guideline and may subject to change in future.
Surface Plan The Keys Market
Procedure
To have a market business at The Keys Market it is required:
1) That your business is registered at the Chamber of Commerce.
2) You have obtained your vending permit*.
3) If applicable a Food Handling Certificate – if you are planning on selling food. We have a form if you want to apply for this training*.
4) You have submitted your “The Keys Market” application form*.
*These application forms can be retrieved at our office.
Market Vending License Required
Anyone who wants to run a full-fledged market business at The Keys Market are obligated to show one of the following documents: Mobile, Stationary or Market Vending License.
Obtaining a license
To become eligible for a Mobile, Stationary, or Market Vending license in accordance with article 4, 5, and 11 of the Public Vending Ordinance of Sint Maarten, the applicant must comply with the following requirements in accordance with article 2 of the aforementioned ordinance:
- The business that the applicant wishes to conduct must be his main source of income.
- The applicant must have a Dutch nationality.
- The applicant must be registered as a resident of Sint Maarten for at least the last two years
Applicants of foreign nationality wishing to obtain a Market Vending license, may be exempted from the second requirement (the Dutch nationality), if they have been residing legally for 10 years or longer on Sint Maarten.
Buffet License
Buffet Licenses is required for the Food Court section. Based on the (“Vergunningslandsverordening”) and issued to persons or organizations to allow the sale of food and beverages at public events.
Requirements to obtain a Vending / Buffet License
1. A completed application form.
2. A valid copy of passport (of the applicant & helper). Only a coloured copy will be accepted.
3. From The Census Office: A copy of your Census Registration form (of the applicant & helper). Not older than six (6) months.
4. Two (2) passport pictures (of the applicant & helper). Only coloured passport pictures will be accepted.
5. Copy of a valid Food handler’s certificate, if selling food and beverages. (of the applicant & helper).
6. From the Inspectorate of Taxes (Tax Office):
- A copy of your Tax Return form from the previous year
- A copy of your crib number declaration
7. A valid copy of your police record. (not older than six (6) months)
In order for the application to be processed, payment of the processing fee of Nafls. 180.00 is required.
Department of Economic Licenses,
Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication
Zoutsteeg #3
Philipsburg
Sint Maarten
Phone number(s): +1721 542-2986/ +1721 542-0778/ +1721 542-0779
Fax: +1721 543-7822
E-mail: economiclicenses@sintmaartengov.org
The Keys Market Policy
At The Keys Market you can find both new and used furniture, clothing, household items, plants, shoes, bags, ornaments, jewellery, kitchenware, crafts, vintage items and so much more.
Vendor restrictions:
- No Food or Beverage sales without permission.
- Food vendors have to state which cuisine (food cooking style !!) they will be selling. We want to keep a variety of cuisines available to the public. For example 1x St. Maartener food, 1x Aruban, 1x Dominican food, 1x Jamaican food, 1x Guyanese food, 1x Surinamese food to name a few cuisines. However it is important to us that the Food vendor distinguish her/himself from other food vendors. This is also an opportunity for the Food vendor to avoid competition.
- The Keys Market -Outdoor Bar/Lounge keeps the right to sell generic beverages such as sodas, beers and other generic alcoholic beverages. Food vendors are allowed to sell food and self-made beverages for example:
- Mauby, lemonade, juices, coffee, tea, dairy beverages,
- self made punch, originally home brewed beer/wine/rum.
- No sales or displays of any drugs, drug paraphernalia, guns or ammunition of any kind.
- Boxes, bags, unsold items, garbage etc are you responsibility. Remove all your stuff from your site.
- At the Market we expect all vendors to join in our Recycle and Repurpose Waste procedures. Based on your products we will provide you guidelines how to sort out accumulated waste.
- The Keys Market assumes NO responsibility for lost, stolen or damage items. All vendors agree to hold The Keys Market harmless from any damage, injury or liability.
- Please note all info are subject to change in future.
Contact
| Company | Marlin Yard Foundation & Vicky’s Keys Volunteer Center |
| Contact person | Cee Marlin – Developer |
| Phone / Whatsapp: | +31 85 004 1137 |
| Address: | The Keys road 2 – 8, Lane 3, Sucker Garden – St. Maarten DWI |
| Web | www.marlinyard.org/thekeysmarket |
| Email: | thekeysmarket@marlinyard.org |