Very quietly in August, Cara Hotels opened 'Bistro 176', at its Cara Suites location at Middle and Waterloo Streets.
"We deliberately kept it quiet," says Shaun McGrath, the Cara Hotels co-chairman, explaining that they needed to fine-tune their operation. Eleven additional persons have been employed to man the restaurant which involved an investment of around US$50,000.
Despite the low key opening McGrath says the response has been very good with at least two nights sold out, meaning customers were turned away. He suggests patrons now make reservations.
The muted decor of the dining room, with comfortable nibbi chairs creates a relaxing atmosphere. From the dining area another door leads to the bar and then to the breezy patio. In the dining area soft music plays whilst in the bar there is a combination of soft rock and 70s and 80s hits. On Wednesday nights there is a quiz on various subjects, an idea which McGrath calls new to Guyana.
The dining area seats 24 but has the capacity for more and has already catered to group gatherings such as birthday parties.
"The bar is developing a nice little local clientele," says McGrath, adding that there is a cocktail menu and wine by the glass.
Apart from offering an alternative to the dining public, the decision to open a restaurant at the hotel meant guests now had a place to dine.
Guests previously ate at the nearby Sidewalk Cafe or at the Cara Lodge on Quamina Street. The cuisine is a mixture of European or Caribbean flavoured food including crab cakes, Guyana curry, fillet steak, grilled salmon or lamb chops.
Main courses range from $1600 to $3200 and appetizers from $400 to $1,200. What will be the secret to the restaurant's success? Consistency and quality, says McGrath. And that goes for the other restaurants in the Cara chain including the Metropolitan at Cara Suites in Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad and the Mandolin at Cara Suites, Castries, St. Lucia each of which offers a taste of its host country. The Cara Suites Hotel at Pointe a Pierre, Trinidad recently picked up two gold awards for excellence in service.
The 64-room hotel with conference and banqueting facilities for up to 450, is just minutes from Trinidad's second city, San Fernando and the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. It was awarded the "Robert Montano Award for Excellence in Service" by the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and the "Customer Satisfaction 2004 Award" by the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Tourism.
The awards, which reflect commitment to the highest level of service were presented last month, a release from the hotel said and quoted General Manager, Helen Logan-Alcala as saying the awards are a reflection of hard work that has been put into the hotel since the opening. According to the release, the Robert Montano award for Excellence in Service is of special significance for the hotel and team as it is awarded for service by the market segment-the business sector and the South Chamber, one of the largest and most influential in the region, while the Customer Satisfaction 2004 Award is based on feedback throughout the year and is monitored by the Ministry by means of guest interviews as one of the main criteria. Cara Hotels has five hotels in the region, operating in Trinidad, Guyana and St. Lucia primarily servicing the business sector. Cara Suites at Pointe a Pierre opened after a full refurbishment in January 2001 and has quickly established itself as a favourite for business visitors, the release added.