THE Region Ten Tourism Association hosted Linden Restaurant Week, with the aim of showcasing Linden as a culinary destination, thus boosting its tourism industry. The week has been described as a successful one according to member of the association who also holds the hat as President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Victor Fernandes.

The various restaurants and mini eating bars were advertised for the week on social and mass media as a marketing strategy in getting persons au fait with the foods, drinks and other culinary and entertainment services they offer. Counting back two years ago, Linden was lacking significantly it its entertainment and hospitality sector. Lindeners were forced to travel to the capital city to enjoy a formal restaurant setting for dining or to enjoy mixed drinks, cutters and cocktails. Today, the narrative has changed, with at least two first class restaurants opening their doors and several mini bars and hang out spots where cocktails, mixed drinks and appetizers are served in a cool and relaxing atmosphere. Lindeners now have a variety of culinary choices rather than that of fast food. Lindeners can now enjoy a variety of ‘jerk’, grilled and roasted dishes.

After realising the upgrade in Linden’s hospitality industry, with several restaurateurs investing in this regard, the Region Ten Tourism Association found it fit to now market these restaurants and mini eating bars, through the hosting of Restaurant Week. “We realised that they were lacking somewhat in marketing and what we try to do is to make them known, what we did is every day put the menu up, take pictures of what they actually have. We dined at a few of them so persons can actually know what is offered in Linden,” Fernandes said. He noted that the aim is to also attract out of town visitors to the mining town, since persons may be interested in visiting to see the many tourism scenes the town has but might be discouraged by the limited choices of dining. Now that the choices are no longer limited, those choices need to be placed on the map. In visiting these restaurants, Fernandes noted that the aim was to observe the standard of the food and the waiting services offered.

He believes that there still needs to be a little improvement in this regard but realising that the hospitality industry is a relatively new one in Linden, he has optimism that things will get better as time progresses. “We are getting there, so we need to be a bit patient and understanding in that regard, being in that kind of business calls for patience.” Dining and eating out are relatively new to Lindeners and so, there is still very little traffic at these restaurants, he noted.

Fernandes blames the economy of Linden for stifling Lindeners’ spending power. “Linden needs real investment, we are basically surviving on a service oriented economy with public servants and so, we need real investment and my hope for Linden is that the economy will improve.” In this regard Fernandes commended the restaurateurs for taking the risk of investing in such an industry in a town where the spending power of the residents is relatively low. Some of these are: owners of Kingdom Style Restaurant and Movie Theatre, Tropical Reflection Restaurant and Bar, Tone Wall Entertainment Bar, Bamboo Rhythm Café, Tro’s Grill and Chill, Country Grill Restaurant etc.

Owner of Kingdom Style Restaurant Kellon Nedd, related that the story behind the establishment of the restaurant is one written in faith, prayers, tears and sweat and it is the realisation of a dream he had since he was a little child. “It was always my desire to do business on a large scale. It was always my desire to become a businessman with at least 20 employees. I grew up with my mom who was a caterer for years. I am the eldest child for her. She used to sell at some schools and I am always in the kitchen with her. Since then I have always desired this passion for cooking,” Nedd related. Knowing the economic dynamics of Linden, Nedd made a leap of faith and started a road side chicken business called ‘dollar wings’ in Mackenzie, which soon became the craze in the town. He then decided to invest in the first class restaurant located at the Amelia’s Ward Toucan Mall. Kingdom Style restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner which include three course meals. The cuisine is a mixture of local and international dishes. Persons can also order take out such as steaks, ribs, pork chops and other American ‘soul’ food. Reservations can be made and the restaurant will also be hosting events such as birthdays and weddings. The restaurant can accommodate 180 persons at once. The movie theatre will be showing week old premier movies and a confectionary bar will have available ice cream, popcorn, soda, candies etc. He is optimistic that the restaurant will prosper and its clientele will continue to grow.

Owner of Tropical Reflection Restaurant and Bar Hilton Lyle also took the leap of faith in investing in this regard and has no regrets in doing so. While Kingdom Style is a more formal dinner setting, Tropical Reflection is a mixture of formal with sassy and it also has an open bar and hang out spot. It is conveniently located at the ‘Five Corner’ of Mackenzie Linden and also offers both local and international cuisine, especially Jamaican delicacies such as ackee and saltfish, oxtail, ‘manish wata’ and goat curry. A Jamaican chef was specially hired to afford Lindeners these delicacies.

The cuisines, Lyle said, are prepared very health consciously, being cognisant of the plethora of non-communicable diseases that are on the rise in Linden. While the only intention was to establish a restaurant, Lindeners, he said, being starved of entertainment became creative. “ We were just proposing to have a restaurant, but the residents turned it into a restaurant and bar and so we have 100 per cent support from the people of Linden…..we would have special events such as one man band and so on…” Lyle revealed. Other services offered are a restroom facility, where travellers can freshen up during their sojourn to the interior as well as a 24-hour hot and cold meal service. There is also a dining area for the hosting of celebratory or business functions. “Our mission is, ‘clean, fast and friendly’, because I saw the need for standard in the restaurateur industry,” Lyle said.

Lyle posited that taking the risk of opening a restaurant of such high standard has not failed as he has taken the risk of many other business ventures in Linden. He urged other potential investors to come to Linden to invest as there are many needs of the people to be met as he has met their need for entertainment and dining standard. “I am a business man; I always look at the area and see the needs of the people and to cater for their needs and you would not fail.”

In an effort to assist these restaurateurs in raising the standard to that of real first class, the Linden Chamber will, in the near future, embark on hospitality training for the waiters and waitresses, chefs and other staff members.