The Tribune

BY ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

A POPULAR Exuma restaurant yesterday said it is aiming to re-open within the next two weeks as it works through labour and supply challenges to resolve the concerns that sparked its enforced closure by health officials and other government regulators.

Kenneth “KB” Bowe, founder of Chat ‘N’ Chill, said the Stocking Island-based business has already begun work to address the issues that led to its closure, but acknowledged that completing the necessary improvements has been complicated by labour shortages and the difficulty of getting materials and equipment to Exuma.

“In about two weeks,” Mr Bowe said when asked when the restaurant is expected to reopen. “We are having a problem with labour and a problem with getting material here. But we started a little while ago. But you know how things can get blown out in the island. We would say about in two weeks’ time we should be ready.”

The restaurant was shut down last week following inspections conducted by a number of government agencies, including the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA), Department of Inland Revenue, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Department of Public Health and local government.

Mr Bowe said the business employs around ten people, who are currently not being paid while it remains closed. He added that some employees have viewed the closure as a temporary break, while others have been assisting with the work being carried out on the property.

The closure, Mr Bowe explained, stemmed from difficulties surrounding a project that was intended to address the property’s needs. “[I] trusted someone to do the project, and it was half-way done, and then we had to fire him. And as a result, we have a closure,” he said.

Despite the restaurant being closed, other areas of the property remain accessible to visitors as work continues. Meanwhile, Exuma local government officials warned that the shutdown has temporarily taken a key revenue generator and tourism attraction off-line.

Glen Davis, Exuma’s chief councillor, said Chat ‘N’ Chill has become an established destination for tourists, particularly boaters visiting Stocking Island. “It is a high travel tourist area for boaters,” he added. “It’s a little island, so people who do a lot of boating go there for drinks some days.”

Mr Davis said the restaurant’s absence removes one of the island’s attractions for visitors and represents a temporary economic loss for the wider community.

“It impacts tourists because that’s one less destination that they can go hang out, have a drink and lay on the beach,” he said. “So we hope that it gets back up and running in a short space of time.”

Beyond its role as a tourist attraction, Mr Davis described Chat ‘N’ Chill as an important contributor to the Exuma economy. “It generates a lot of revenue, and it employs quite a few people, so it is important to our community,” he said.

The closure comes as Exuma continues to rely heavily on tourism-related businesses, restaurants and small operators to provide employment and generate economic activity across the island.

Mr Davis stressed, however, that the inspections and enforcement action were intended to protect the public rather than undermine local businesses. “We have to appreciate BAHFSA and all those other agencies that ensure that the public is safe at all times,” he said. “So it’s not an easy job, but someone has to do it.”

Mr Davis said food safety remains an important issue across Exuma, where businesses range from established restaurants to conch salad stands and other small food vendors.

“For the most part, I’ll say yes,” he said, when asked whether food safety is taken seriously in Exuma. “There’ll be those people that take short-cuts, but for the most part, they’re safe.”

He added that food businesses are particularly important to local livelihoods, noting that many operators depend on restaurants, fish fries and businesses in the town area to make a living.

For Chat ‘N’ Chill, Mr Bowe said the immediate priority is completing the required work and getting the restaurant back into operation.