PELICAN CRAFT VILLAGE in Bridgetown is known locally as one of the best places to go for local craft.
It is also fast becoming known for tasty meals thanks to Rolli’s Bar and Restaurant.
“The food and the ambience here is good and the service excellent. I definitely recommend it to others,” said patron Jason Alleyne, who quickly added that chicken pasta was one of his favourite dishes.
However, owner Stephen Rollock said every day was a struggle because the layout of Pelican Village was not conducive to business.
“I really believe that when they rebuilt Pelican, the biggest mistake they made was putting it in concrete. Also, it is hard to locate some place when the structure of a place does not contain its name; we have tourists coming in and asking where is Pelican,” he said.
Rollock said it was for this reason he built his business of wood which was more a reflection of Caribbean culture.
On the other hand, Debbieann Edwards said she would never dream of moving her business anywhere else. She operates Debbie’s Closet, selling hand-crafted bags.
“I like the location. It is central and the rent is good. It just needs more advertising as it is not being marketed properly. Still, I love it down here; the energy is good,” she said.
She said locals made up most of her business though the location was built to attract visitors to the island.
“I cannot make the simple type of bags tourists like. You won’t find my pieces anywhere else so I built up a good clientele and they know where to find me,” she said.
Valis Kellman runs a craft store in Pelican where he sells custom-made bags, slippers and hats made of local leather.
He agreed the area was a good one but was in need of more traffic.
Even so, he said he often had more work than he could handle.
“The demand is bigger than I can handle sometimes; I need to expand although things kinda slow right now,” he said.
Eudora Bynoe is part of the housekeeping team that ensures Pelican is always appealing to the eye. She said she has been working there for more than 20 years and it had changed a lot over the years.
“I used to clean out here when it was bare grass; it looks a lot better now. It is a good place to work,” she said.
Bynoe said she was accustomed to the work so it was not hard but she had a problem with vagrants walking onto the property and acting strangely. Luckily, she said security usually saw them off.
Paul Massiah is a graphic artist assistant at the nearby Barbados Investment and Development Corporation. He said he frequently did business in Pelican and found the experience to be enjoyable.
“I do a lot of work for Pelican. The people here are easy to work with – some have very specific tastes while others give you free reign but I have no issues with the people here,” he said.
Street Beat also spoke to two couples – Sally and Delmar Haynes and Chris and Laura Karley – who are repeat visitors to Barbados and Pelican. The women said their husbands loved The Cigar Factory.
“The cigars are good and it is interesting to see how they are hand-made,” said Chris.
They said they found Barbados and Pelican in particular, clean and friendly, with an inviting atmosphere which kept them coming back. (CA)