“Some people have been waiting 13 years for us to return”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The manager of a popular Bahamian eatery said that despite the pandemic, the restaurant has seen a strong customer response to its return into the marketplace.
Derek Smith, manager at Café Johnny Canoe, told Eyewitness News: “Business has been going extremely well. We have seen a lot of our customers from the previous Cafe Johnny Canoe. This is like coming home for them. Some people have said they have been waiting 13 years for us to return. The comments have been quite favorable.
“It’s a good time for us. It’s not the greatest time to open a restaurant. For us, it’s all about taking a risk. We opened the first Café Johnny Canoe during a recession in 1992, so we seem to be taking risks at some odd times for the world.”
During an address in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis noted that indoor dining can resume for those individuals who are completely vaccinated and have passed the two-week immunity period.
Smith noted: “At the present time, we are only doing outdoor dining. The interior is actually closed. Based on what the prime minister said, we are trying to determine how we are going to move forward.”
On the issue of vaccination, with several employers in the country seeking to make it mandatory for employees to get vaccinated, Smith noted that Café Johnny Canoe has decided to leave it as a personal decision for its employees.
“Hopefully we will get some of our folks as well to move ahead with vaccination,” he continued.
“We have made the decision that it becomes a personal decision for our employees. That choice will be left up to them.”
Café Johnny Canoe has made its return to Baha Mar Boulevard. The original restaurant closed shortly after Baha Mar shut down the Nassau Beach Resort to begin construction on its multibillion-dollar resort.
