Andrea Downer, Gleaner WriterAfter a week of whirlwind activities, Kingston's nightlife has almost returned to normal. For all of last week, Kingston's finest indulged and dined at some of Kingston's finest restaurants for a fraction of the usual cost.
Parking lots overflowed and some streets in the vicinity of the restaurants which participated in Kingston Restaurant Week were bordered on both sides by vehicles. Infectious laughter, juxtaposed with the merry sounds of glassware and the musical chimes of cutlery, created a heady combination that wooed those who who weren't enamoured, to fall in love with the idea of
eating out.
And for seven magical nights, that's exactly what they did.
Based on the responses received, it's unanimous Kingston Restaurant Week was a resounding success!
And who best to speak about that success, but one of the owners of Mac's Chop House, which has arguably made Kingston Restaurant Week history? The restaurant, which has been open for just six months, was solidly booked out for KRW, weeks before the event. Fiona Machado, one of the family of five that includes her husband Mario who operate the facility, said her staff were kept busy all week.
overwhelming response
"It was terribly successful. The response was so overwhelming that I became hoarse from the number of phone calls I had to answer from people wanting to book," she said. However, she said they had to turn away all those who called wanting to eat there last week.
"I felt bad for the literally hundreds of people who I had to turn away and I do hope they try us another time," she said with remorse. She said the fact that the special prices for KRW will no longer be available should not deter them.
"We are not as expensive as rumour has it," she said with a mischievous chuckle. "People begged us to extend the promotion for an additional week!" she said incredulously.
The management of Grog Shoppe, which is located on the grounds of Devon House, was just as ecstatic. Manager Jeneve Hew told The Sunday Gleaner that while things were a bit slow when the week started, by Wednesday they had their hands full.
"We were quite busy, we saw a lot of new faces, as a lot of people did not realise that Grog Shoppe had reopened until last week," she explained.
So overwhelming was the response that Ms. Hew said they were forced to open up the West Veranda of the Great House, which has never, ever, been used. That section can accommodate up to 20 people.
Sunday dinner special
And now, the Grog Shoppe has a Sunday dinner special to accommodate all those people who were unable to eat there during KRW because the restaurant was fully booked. They have retained the KRW menu at the same reduced price of $1,000 for what Ms. Hew says will be a limited time. She says people will have to call for reservations for Sunday Dinner Special. The menu includes Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Back, Crushed Green Plantain, Oxtail with Garlic and Curried Shrimp.
She says she hopes next year will be bigger and better, and that other areas such as Ocho Rios, Mandeville, and Montego Bay will be included.
Gary Ferguson, one of the directors of The Rib Kage Bar and Grill, says the organisers of KRW did an excellent job of marketing the concept.
"Everybody was talking about it," he said. However, he said while they saw an increase in business, he felt that more people would have come in to eat if prices for the KRW menu had been lower. He said at $1,000, the KRW price was not very far from the $1,400 that customers would normally pay for a meal.
Mrs. Bambi Aydin, manager of Bob's Café, which is located on the grounds of the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road, said Kingston Restaurant Week helped to put the restaurant on diners' radar.
"We definitely saw more people last week, and not only our old clientele, but some new faces. It was very successful. People who came in never even knew that Bob's Café existed," she confessed.
However, she said the restaurant opened just eight months ago and offers a wide variety of food, including vegetarian dishes.
"We will definitely be on board next year. I can imagine that a year from now it will be even better for us," she concluded.
