By Al Edwards, Business Co-ordinatorLOCAL FAST food chain Island Grill has taken the decision to expand its operations in the region rather than focus on the United States.
The Thalia Lyn managed organisation will be looking to secure deals in Trinidad, St. Lucia, the Bahamas and St. Kitts.
Speaking to Wednes-day Business earlier this week, Mrs. Thalia Lyn said: "We will continue with our expansion plans in Jamaica and hope to open a further five stores next year. As you know we have two stores in the Florida area but we intend to expand in the Caribbean where people are familiar with our kind of cuisine."
With the United States economy currently experiencing a downturn and with the brand not readily recognised in North America, the Caribbean region appears to be a viable option Mrs. Lyn said, adding that the company was also considering franchising and to speed expansion.
Just 11 years after opening its operations in Jamaica, Island Grill (formerly known as Chicken Supreme) has ten restaurants in Jamaica and two in Florida. It has also partnered with Versair In-Flite Services at a cost of $9 million to open an outlet at Norman Manley International Airport.
The decision to double its outlets this year from 5 to 10 came at a cost of $100 million. Island Grill now has its own commissary depot and is attempting to further centralise its operations.
Earlier this year, Island Grill's general manager Denis Hawkins ventured an explanation as to the rationale behind the company's expansion plans.
"We have reached the stage where we are considered as "branded" and have a strong name in the local market and we are now looking at whether we can merchandise that brand."
This year Island Grill opened an outlet at a cost of $20 million in Chris Blackwell's Island Village located in Ocho Rios. The company has more recently opened outlets including a drive-through outlet on Washington Boulevard, and a more conventional restaurant in Manor Park.
Last year Island Grill generated revenues of $260 million but with a further 5 restaurants coming on stream this year it is expecting to do in excess of $400 million a year. Next year the company is looking to maintain its revenue growth path.
Since rebranding in 1998, Island Grill's customer count has gone up 150 per cent.
Addressing the issue of taking the brand to the Caribbean region, Mrs.Lyn said: "It's such a logical step but we have to work on it to maximise our impact in the region. The major islands should not prove to be a hard sell because they are already familiar to some degree with the products we offer. We have already had enquiries from St. Lucia and Trinidad and we are presently considering those, so yes the region is open to us."
