HER chipper personality is probably the first thing that attracts you to her, but her skills in the kitchen are what will keep you coming back for more.

Nadia Herbert is the owner of ‘Trini Grills’, a local fast food place that places much emphasis on creating the best burgers in town.

“I love to cook. I’m not a trained cook, but since I was a kid growing up, cooking has been my way of relaxing and it’s my passion,” Nadia shared.

About five years ago, the young woman managed a much smaller eatery than Trini Grills. It was the snackette at the Survival Supermarket, where she made your usual Guyanese snack foods- the egg balls and pholourie and alike.

At some point, she met her husband and the two of them got married and migrated to the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. While over there, they both longed to return to the Land of Many Waters and decided to try out their luck with a ‘small’ business.

“We rented a nice little place on Sheriff Street and the business quickly grew so we moved to a bigger location in Station Street,” Nadia related, adding that the support from her fellow Guyanese has been so overwhelming every step of the way.

When she came back initially, there were certain prerequisites to opening a food business in Guyana that she was unaware of. But once she got over those hurdles, it was all business. Trini Grills has about 35 different burgers now, after starting with only about 12 and enough sides and other meals to keep you filled for days.

The business owner and cook said, too, “We even want to invest in another location, maybe Berbice or East Coast– but I can’t do it all on my own. I need my husband.”

But what has contributed to the business being successful? Well, Nadia is definitely a seasoned cook. She just knows what flavours to blend together to give the right taste, and what ingredients (in the correct proportions!) must be used.

Aside from being the maestro in the kitchen, Nadia is also a great ‘people’s person’, that stresses the importance of creating good relationships with her customers.

“I like to deal with my customers,” she explained. “When we were on Sheriff Street, the grill was right up to the gate, so I would cook and talk to my customers at the same time to have a feel what they like and so.”

But even as the business moved to its current Station Street location, and she has hired additional staff to help her out, she hasn’t abandoned her emphasis on the customer experience.

“I have some customers that know me so well, they can come and say ‘Hey, Nadia. Remember that thing we had last week? I want it again’ and I would already know what it is,” Nadia explained. “I just have that relationship with my customers.”

Nowadays, she deals primarily with the customers and has two cooks that know her recipes and other specialties, but she quipped that she’ll always find an excuse to slip right back into the kitchen from time to time.

As she continues to improve and develop her business, she noted that there is much scope for Guyanese, just like her, who migrated to come back and invest in the country.

“Guyanese people who live abroad should know that there is so much potential here and they should come back and invest here,” she said. “I’ve met some of the nicest people as a business owner, and it has just opened a lot of opportunities for me.”