Barbara Ellington, Lifestyle Editor
Lyn
POPULAR JAMAICAN fast food chain Island Grill is set to spread its wings again come mid September. This time, the new location will be at Red Hills Mall on Red Hills Road in St. Andrew.
And come November, they will also establish a branch at Grantly Adams Airport in Barbados.
Speaking with Sunday Business, Mrs. Thalia Lyn said the move is being made even in light of the violence that has plagued the area for some time now.
"People live there and have to eat and we are going ahead with the move," Mrs. Lyn said.
The new location will bring to 14 the branches now spread out over the island. Also, the timing is right as, coming right on the start of a new school year, it will attract the student population in the area.
"We are famous for our healthy and nutritious meals and parents will be happy for that," Mrs. Lyn added.
Island Grill at Red Hills Mall will be a drive-through restaurant and will be located downstairs close to the National Commercial Bank (NCB) branch there.
Marketing Manager Sahran Walters said it will be approximately 1,800 square feet and have later opening hours.
"The management of the mall is now looking to improve the look of the complex and hopes to lure customers back. Island Grill will help in that process by setting up a customer oasis outside the restaurant where patrons can dine or hang out," Ms. Walters said.
The restaurant will open in time for the unveiling of new menu items including a jerk breast of chicken salad made with fresh local products and their own special salad dressing.
The other new addition is a real barbecue chicken that will join the core product jerk chicken. "This is for customers whose palates cannot handle the peppery taste of jerk chicken. This recipe is still in the final stages of development."
Other products are coming as Island Grill continues its aggressive development plan. "We will roll these out
as time goes by but we will
continue to be more agile in our customer service," Ms. Walters said.
Joseph Nicholson, president of the Goddard Catering Group, summed up his company's interest in the Island Grill chain this way: "We love the Island Grill product and believe that its Jamaica success can be replicated throughout the Caribbean. It's the food our Caribbean people eat chicken, rice, vegetables the chicken is grilled fresh and is tasty and healthy and has a Jamaican flavour."
He added that Goddard is comfortable with Mrs. Lyn's honest, hardworking, committed, and passionate approach to her company.
A GREAT FIT
"She is a great fit with the Goddard Catering Group, it's a good joint
venture. We have been in a joint venture together through our Jamaican company Versair for the past four and a half years in airports on the island," Mr. Nicholson said, adding that it is time to move
forward with the partnership.
Mrs. Lyn is happy at the prospect, having put the failed attempt at expanding into South Florida, behind her.
But for Goddards the long-term view is that a Caribbean fast food chain serving Caribbean type food throughout the region would be successful. It has been a 25-year-old idea but Goddard's have been totally committed to core business airline catering, which is going through tough times. Mr. Nicholson thinks Island Grill fits his 25-year-old dream, being well established, well run, serving good Caribbean food, with systems in place to move it through the islands and beyond.
"I also believe that we, Goddard Catering, are a good fit with Island Grill. We are well established through the Caribbean; we are in most of
the English speaking Islands and Netherlands Antilles, Central and South America; we have a core of Caribbean people throughout the region," he said.
Goddard Catering now operates 23 catering companies in 19 countries with over 2,000 indigenous people. Goddard enterprises was incorporated in Barbados in 1921 and started airline catering in 1954.
