Jerry Bacchus is an unpretentious if decidedly focused businessman who prefers to swap the much overused title of entrepreneur for the less fashionable one of “flat foot hustler.” When I asked him whether he minded being called a hustler in public print he started to remind me of the days when, as he put it, he used to “walk and sell.” It was his way of making the point that what he has accomplished up until now has all been the result of years of diligent hustle.
He has spent 20 years building one of the most recognizable urban brands in the food and beverage sector. Apart from the three regular restaurants named Jerries – All Night Long in Waterloo street- Tight and Sweet at the Courtyard Mall on Robb Street and Jerries Runway at the Ogle International Airport, the former Ministry of Education employee runs the school canteens at both Bishops’ and St. Roses.
It has been 20 years since the Jerries brand was registered and the first facility was opened in New Market Street in the building that used to house the Black Pussycat. Four years later the establishment outgrew New Market Street and had to be shifted to what quickly became the popular Camp Street ‘joint.’ In September 1996 Jerries established a snackette at The Bishops’ High School and has since operated a number of school canteens. The facilities at both Bishops and St Roses are still under the management of Jerries.
During Jerry Bacchus’s eight-year sabbatical in the United States from July 1999 to August 2007 the establishment was run by his colleague, Austen Chung. “That was an important period for the company and I am still grateful that he kept our doors open during those eight years.”
Less than a year after returning home Jerries shifted operations again, this time to Waterloo Street and the location of what was once the popular Tropicana Night Club. The period ahead witnessed a number of initiatives including the establishment of Jerries Runway at Ogle Airport the opening of Tight and Sweet in Robb Street in January and March 2010, respectively. In January 2012 the company completed construction of the New Jerries Runway at Ogle.
As much as anything else what appears to have created a Jerries following is the relaxed, informal ambience and what Bacchus boasts is his kitchen’s ‘top class’ cooking. He insists that the growth of his significant current clientele is, in large measure, a function of the reputation which he built during his days of walking and selling. “Sometimes I still reflect on the days when I would roll a swiss roll with rice flour. I don’t know anyone else who can do that,” Jerry quips.
Seemingly a huge Facebook fan Jerry measures his fan base through the medium of the 10,000-odd other Facebook adherents whom he describes as his “followers.” He talks with them constantly about everything from food to fashion.
He is modest about his accomplishment in one of the most competitive sectors in urban Guyana though he attributes growth to adherence to high standards. “Our kitchen is a 24-hour service. It never closes. Sometimes people come to work for us and are intimidated by what we do in our kitchen.”
Consolidating the Jerries branding mission is a preoccupation. Signs have been erected at Providence, LBI/BV, Buxton and Den Amstel and there is talk of creating a franchise that takes the enterprise further into coastal Guyana.
The current preoccupation; however, is gearing for the ongoing expansion of the Ogle International Airport. Jerry anticipates that perhaps as early as year – end Ogle will be receiving flights from regional destinations and his vision of transforming Jerries Runway into the ‘front line’ for local cuisine. He envisages further upgrading the Runway to a level that will match the expectations of an international airport.
Jerry pays glowing tribute to the role which his Brazilian-born wife Paola plays in managing his operations though he concedes that the he wished that his four children domiciled in the United States were around to see what he has accomplished.
Interestingly, there appears to be no great urgency to his growth plans. He appears to be taking it all in his stride, seemingly favouring the approach of gradually ‘putting one foot in front of the other’ rather than risking the possible pitfalls associated with jumping in with both feet.
