The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Roots Junkanoo group has joined those opposing the Wendy's/Marco's Pizza restaurants proposed for Paradise Island because of the competition it presents to an investment billed as creating 40 jobs.

Wendell “Gutts” Francis, Roots' chairman emeritus, told Keenan Johnson, the Town Planning Committee chief, in an October 19, 2023, letter that plans to install the two fast-food brands in the former Scotiabank branch will disrupt its own ambitions to develop a Junkanoo Museum in the same building as the Paradise Island straw market.

Noting that the proposed Junkanoo Museum would incorporate a Bahamian restaurant component located just across the street, Mr Francis wrote: "Roots Junkanoo Group, in an effort to become financially self-sufficient and provide employment to its members, has embarked on developing a Junkanoo Museum that will have as a part of its business a Bahamian food restaurant component.

"This museum will also enhance revenue for the straw market vendors that are located in the same building as us. Therefore, Roots Junkanoo Group strongly opposes Wendy's and Marco’s Pizza opening a restaurant that will be located right across from the Junkanoo Museum.

"The traffic congestion that will be created, along with the lack of sufficient parking and the health issues that will be created from the increase in rodents, will severely impact the success of the museum and the employment of some 40 Bahamians."

By comparison, Aetos Holdings, the Bahamian franchisee for the Wendy's and Marco's Pizza brands, has previously said its project - if it receives the necessary Town Planning Committee and other approvals - will create between 70 to 100 construction and full-time jobs, and involve an investment of up to $4m.

Mr Francis' letter was written some three days after the Town Planning Committee's public hearing on the Paradise Island restaurant project, and on the same day that the Paradise Island Tourism Development Association (PITDA) urged the regulator to delay their decision on any approvals by four weeks so that the restaurant’s impact on traffic flows can be studied.

The Association represents some of Aetos Holdings' major opponents, including the Ocean Club, Comfort Suites and Atlantis, the latter of whom has been a big sponsor of Roots for many years. "It is our belief that together we all can add to the success in building a better Bahamas," Mr Francis told the Town Planning Committee.

"By not allowing these fast-food franchises at this site, you will aid our venture to offer authentic Bahamian dishes to our country’s visitors and guests. We have every faith that this letter will be received kindly and help to with our cause to render employment to our members through our venture of the Junkanoo museum.....

"Our group, since establishment in 1991, has contributed significantly to community building and uplifting persons, young and matured, through our form of Junkanoo art, music and dance. In fact, we have engendered a culture that has inspired our members to become craftsmen and musicians, resulting in the sale of their products for a livelihood."

Glen Haddad, PITDA’s executive vice-president, argued in a letter released to the media last week that Aetos Holdings had produced no evidence to support its assertions that the presence of the fast-food brands will not cause traffic problems.

Noting that Caribbean Civil Group’s traffic impact study will take three weeks to complete, and another to publish the results, the Association and its hotel members - who include leading opponents of the Wendy’s/Marco Pizza proposal - are pleading with the Town Planning Committee to delay any decision on the bid for site plan approval by four weeks.

Describing this as “a reasonable request”, Mr Haddad wrote that following Monday’s public consultation the Association “still has serious concerns about the increased traffic the restaurants could cause and how this would affect PITDA’s member hotels and partners”.

He added: “Despite the claims from the developer that his restaurants would not cause any additional traffic issues, he did not provide the Town Planning Committee or the public any documents or studies in support of that claim.

“Given our direct long-standing experience of maintaining all the roads, traffic lights and directional signage, other infrastructure and traffic security across Paradise Island, PITDA strongly believes that this development will indeed have a very negative traffic impact on the visitors, residents and employees of Paradise Island.

“Due to this major concern, PITDA has retained traffic experts, Caribbean Civil Group, to immediately conduct a traffic impact study around these proposed fast-food restaurants on Paradise Island.”

But Chris Tsavoussis, who along with his brother, Terry, heads Aetos Holdings, at Monday night’s hearing said he does not “understand what all this fuss is about” as they sought to argue why their Paradise Island restaurant project should receive planning permission.

He questioned why there was so much opposition to the proposal to convert the former Scotiabank branch when the adjacent shopping plaza hosts a Dunkin Donuts franchise, web shops and a liquor store. Concerns over increased traffic congestion that would result from the restaurants’ presence, and an alleged lack of parking spaces, were raised frequently during the meeting.

Mr Tsavoussis said Aetos Holdings will provide transportation for their employees similar to the scheme that they use for staff at their Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) location. He added that traffic existed in the area when Scotiabank occupied the site, and he anticipates Wendy’s generating “less traffic” than the bank.