Prudence N. Barnes, Contributor
Jukie Chin left, CEO of Juici Patties makes a point to Prime Minister P.J. Patterson (centre) and Lascelles Chin, CEO of Lasco during the opening of the Juici Patties headquarters in Clarendon Park, Clarendon last Thursday. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WHEN JAMAICANS say you run your business like a patty shop, it is not meant as a compliment. This perception has not kept pace with the reality that a small group of entrepreneurs have essentially redefined the patty shop.
Juici Patties is one of the companies leading the charge for this new approach to the patty business. With 45 restaurants across the island, the company this year celebrates its 25th anniversary, and is now one of the most successful home-grown fast food chains in Jamaica.
It has more restaurants islandwide than operations with similar offerings, and more outlets than the leading multinational fast-food chains in the country, boasting at least one store in every parish. The restaurant chain currently employs over 1,500 Jamaicans with that number set to rise.
And more growth is on the way. Jukie Chin, chairman and chief executive officer of Juici Patties told the Wednesday Business that there are plans to open two new restaurants in Bog Walk, St. Catherine, and the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies within the next three months.
"Based on the locations we have identified, I see where we are heading to have 50 restaurants islandwide by next year," he disclosed.
The company recently officially opened its 105,000 square ft manufacturing plant in Clarendon Park in Clarendon valued at "several hundred million dollars". The facility comprises a superstore, abattoir, water treatment plant, as well as furniture factory and metal and welding workshop and auto care centre. Juici Patties manufactures furniture and other material to meet the needs of its restaurants.
Juici Patties had its humble beginnings in Rocky Point Clarendon when 16-year-old Jukie Chin, while attending Glenmuir High School, had the idea to establish a patty businesses to serve his community.
"Travelling back and forth to school each day, I had the thought that the area could use a patty business" Mr. Chin said. He began making and selling patties from his parent's grocery store in Rocky Point.
In 1980, Mr. Chin established his first Juici Patties restaurant in May Pen Clarendon with a $4000 loan from his parents. "The bank refused me a loan because I did not have collateral, so I had to borrow the money from my parents," he recalled.
Within the next five to six years, stores were established in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth; Old Harbour, Clarendon, and Christiana and Mandeville in Manchester.
After saturating central Jamaica, the turn of the decade saw the Juici Patties company moving to new dimensions with rapid expansion into other parts of the island through franchising.
"We started franchising in 1990," Mr. Chin said, noting that franchising allowed the company to expand at a much faster rate, and allowed the stores to have the right management structure without spreading its resources too thinly. Mr. Chin owns and operates a little under a half of the restaurants in the Juici Patty chain, with the remainder being operated as franchises.
In the 1990s, Juici Patties also made its foray into Kingston. "Initially Kingston was difficult," Mr. Chin said, adding that the brand has gained increased consumer acceptance in the capital. Today there are eight Juici Patties restaurants in Kingston, two of which are owned and operated by him.
Part of that reason for the acceptance in Kingston and across the island, Mr. Chin noted, was the wide and different offerings on the menu. In addition to the traditional beef patties, the Juici Patties menu includes chicken and vegetarian patty choices and a range of traditional Jamaican breakfast dishes and soups.
"We have further raised the bar beyond the international fast food companies by introducing the Juici Superstores," he said. This will see a further improvement in service and amenities at a number of locations.
These superstores are over 10,000 square ft. with seating for over 2000 patrons, a sports bar, a gaming arcade, and areas for functions and events, as well as parking.
Three of the Juici locations are already superstores and the Bog Walk location which is to be established near the round-a-bout on the main road leading from the Bog Walk through Linstead to Ocho Rios, is also slated to be a superstore, Mr. Chin disclosed.
The fast food chain has also expanded outside of Jamaica, in 2001 acquiring a plant in Ontario Canada to manufacture products there. While there are no Juici stores in Canada, the company's array of patties and food items are available in major supermarket chains and convenience stores in Canada.
"When I started out in 1980, I do not think there was any patty restaurant in Jamaica which had air conditioning," he said, adding that with the competition from the overseas fast food chains, local operations have had to improve and become more professional. Juici Patties is now ready to compete with them on their home ground.
