Increased patronage at local restaurants as Restaurant Week continues
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, June 28, 2018
During another season of Guyana Restaurant Week (GRW), restaurants participating in the gastronomy event, are enjoying an increase in patrons at their establishments.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) visited Café Bellvana and Cara Lodge restaurants to gain more insight from the managers.
Participating for the first time and offering a lunch menu, Owner of Café Bellvana, Nirvana Mahase said the response from patrons is more than she expected. “We have had a good response. It has been hectic for us, for those in the kitchen, my staff; I am even in front helping,” Mahase said.
She added, “on a regular day, we are not necessarily at full capacity. We would do one seating for lunch and we have been doing two seatings for lunch now.”
Mahase said the menu which caters to all foodies, includes stuffed chicken breast, blackened trout, creamy garlic penne pasta; all with two different sides to complement the meal. This is followed by selected desserts on the menu.
A patron at Café Bellvana, Donelle Phillips said she eagerly awaited restaurant week to enjoy the local cuisine. “I am happy there is such an initiative because persons who cannot afford to dine at restaurants on a daily basis will now have the opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere and the ambience. I plan to visit the others, but this was my first pick.”
Meanwhile, offering only dinner in this season of restaurant week, Assistant Manager at Cara Lodge Hotel, Oliver Pollydore said the establishment’s menu was selected to showcase local-based products.
“We have chicken foot souse, pigtail souse. We try to keep it more of a local base. We even have our signature ice cream which is the Cara Sata ice cream made with papaya, soursop and guava mixed together with a passion fruit sauce,” Pollydore said.
He explained, this year the outlet is only offering the dinner aspect of the event since it was cramped for space last year due to a large number of patrons who frequented the restaurant.
Guyana Restaurant Week is a ten-day culinary celebration where leading restaurants offer fixed price menus that reflect an average of 30 percent off their regular menu cost.
A total of 18 restaurants are participating and patrons can purchase lunch for $2,000 and dinner for $4,000 or $5,000.
GRW 2018 began on June 22 with and will end on July 1.
By: Crystal Stoll.
Images: Keno George and Karime Peters.