THE launch of the annual ‘Guyana Restaurant Week’ at the Cara Lodge on Quamina Street yesterday came with a pleasant surprise in the nature of a $500,000 donation to its organisers, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).The gesture was courtesy of Republic Bank Guyana Ltd, whose Marketing Manager, Ms. Michelle Johnson, did the honours, saying that the money was intended to be a ‘shot in the arm’ to give the event, scheduled to begin in two weeks, the necessary energy and verve so vital to its promotion.
Both the GTA and the Tourism and Hospital Authority of Guyana (THAG), which introduced the initiative here four years ago, thanked Republic Bank and Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), two of the event’s major sponsors, for coming on board with them.
The Guyana Restaurant Week runs from November 18th to 27th, and the theme for the event is “Tourism for All; Building a Partnership for Tourism Development”.
CULINARY CELEBRATION
Restaurant Week is a culinary celebration of the best restaurants in Guyana. During this ten-day extravaganza, participating restaurants offer an exclusive menu at a significantly reduced price.
Restaurant Week gives visitors and local foodies an opportunity to enjoy specialty prix fixe menus from skilled local chefs.
The multi-course dining experience starts at $2,000 for lunch, and $4,000 and/or $5,000 for dinner, including VAT and service charges where applicable. Beverages are not included. Folonari wines will be available at many of the participating restaurants at $4000 per bottle, or $1000 per glass.
Excited about this culinary extravaganza, GTA Director, Mr. Indranauth Haralsingh, is calling on all Guyana, whether Guyanese or non-Guyanese, and certainly the tourists in our midst to support the event.
“It is an affordable opportunity for families, for friends and for businesses to dine out,” Haralsingh said, adding:
“Ordinarily, many people might not have the opportunity to go to some of these places, including the Marriott, where, on this occasion, you can have lunch menu for $2,000. Imagine that!”
Haralsingh said the GTA fully supports and endorses Restaurant Week, which has now been handed over to THAG. Noting that collaboration is the key in this partnership, he said GTA is playing an integral part in promoting the event.

HIVE OF ACTIVITY
Meanwhile, participating restaurants are working energetically, putting systems in place for the November 18 opening of the event.
THAG Executive Manager, Mr. Shaun McGrath, on a note of excitement at the prospect of bringing off a most successful Guyana Restaurants Week declared: “It’s our fourth venture, and every year it’s getting bigger and better. We want to continue that trend.”
He expressed satisfaction with the way restaurants have been adapting to new skills they’ve acquired and using them for the improvement of their services.
“We have observed marked improvements in their service over the last year, such as bringing in new chefs to give guidance on the quality and presentation of dishes, the range of food among other things,” McGrath said, adding that there are also new and interesting offerings that they did not previously have.
And in order to boost competence and professionalism, starting November 15, the Authority will be conducting training for waiters and waitresses in all restaurants.
Mc Grath said that in addition to the 18 restaurants in and around Georgetown that have already registered and confirmed participation, the Authority is also doing an outreach to get regional facilities to come on board, even though there appears to be some challenges.
Sharing information on how interested restaurants can come on board, McGrath said: “They can contact us at any stage; they don’t have be members of THAG.” He advised that persons can go to the Authority’s website: Guyana RestaurantWeek.com and access the page – ‘Register your Restaurant’ for more information as to the standard or criteria for admission.
Also on November 15, the Authority will be organising a customer service training session at Cara Lodge for waiters and waitresses of all the restaurants.