is managing director of DiningWithUs
Are you where you’ve always wanted to be?
No, not even close. Not until DiningWithUs is at the maximum growth potential. Helping restaurants and bars in Barbados and the Caribbean generate more and consistent revenue. I want to see the Caribbean benefit from my products and services, especially when it comes to tourism and creating foreign exchange.
What is your biggest professional challenge?
Funding has always been the greatest challenge. It takes money to make more money.
What is your biggest life challenge?
Turning an idea into a business and being able to stay focused when there is so much to do within 24 hours.
When you look to the future what do you see?
I see our restaurant partners being happy. I also see an increase of jobs in the hospitality industry.
What is your favourite pastime?
Solitude. I think every true entrepreneur goes through this.
What is your favourite meal?
I live on a ‘SeeFood Diet’. I can appreciate all dishes starting from Mapp’s chicken, Champers coconut shrimp, Il Tempio thin crust pizzas, Naru’s sushi and so many more dishes.
On Saturday nights where are you likely to be?
If I do manage to break myself away from DiningWithUs, you may probably see me in the Gap. I have a very curious mind so I love to socialise and analyse the people that I meet.
What upsets you the most?
Half-done jobs, but false hopes and promises mostly.
What is your guiding philosophy?
The job isn’t going to get done on its own. You have to put in the work to make it happen.
If you had the chance to manage Barbados for a day, what would you do?
I would put together a team and we would set in place some innovative tasks that will make Barbados more self-efficient by cutting down on our import bill and find areas to make more money to improve the economy. Did you know that Barbados spends approximately $800 million a year on food imports?. By making Barbados more self-efficient makes us support our own products and services which creates new businesses and jobs within our community. The other focus would be in tourism and technology together. Did you know that 1.3 million visitors came to Barbados in 2015, yet some restaurants on the west and south coast still managed to go out of business? When we look back at the last 50 years, what has changed? Crop Over? The beaches? Oistins Fish Fry? Speightstown? Holetown? I hope you see where I’m going with this, our paradise has huge potential to increase foreign exchange and with this everyone can benefit.
