In a bid to offer Guyanese “genuine” Chinese and Indonesian fast food, the Chinese franchise Shinning House Restaurant launched its first outlet in the Caribbean yesterday at the Giftland Mall.
Speaking to the media yesterday, company spokesperson, Tanja Saridjo, said, “We won’t have a normal Lowmein or Chowmein or whatever you’re used to. It’s going to be like fries, fruits, vegetables and meat, a lot more meat than anything, and will be healthier than the normal Chinese food that is offered around the world.”
The woman explained that unlike normal fast food, such as Church’s Chicken and Popeyes, which Guyanese are accustomed to, the new restaurant will feature a menu which will have items that are healthier. She said that their signature dishes will feature a wide combination of fruits, vegetables and meat together in a bowl.
“We also will be offering juices and a special item called the dancing yogurt,” she pointed out, while highlighting that the company has had several small hiccups, such as procuring the right ingredients in Guyana, and has not been able to prepare its full menu to date.
However, she assured the media that by next week they should have everything in order.
Saridjo explained that she previously had a restaurant at the mall, and the proprietors of the Shinning House Restaurant, who are her friends, suggested the new venture after she closed down. “When I closed my restaurant off, they said, ‘Why don’t we do it?’ Because they came a couple times and saw the food here was all basic things, and so [they] thought why not make it different and that’s how the idea was born,” she added.
While they have already invested over US$65,000 on the one outlet at the Giftland Mall, Saridjo also pointed out that they are currently working on a bigger branch and headquarters on Lamaha Street, Georgetown.
So far, the small outlet has created jobs for six Guyanese, and the number will increase drastically when the main branch is launched sometime in November.
