The Mario’s Juice Bar and Grill House celebrated its one year anniversary on Friday with the owner announcing that expansion for better service is in the works.
The brief celebratory ceremony was held at the restaurant, located on Sheriff Street, Georgetown, where the owner Mario Joseph said that the business blossomed even though the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge. According to Joseph, the past year has been a difficult but amazing year for his business. He said that it was a huge risk to expand his business during the pandemic but with encouragement and motivation, “we are still here.” “We see a bright future for Guyana and a bright future for business. We were are very optimistic and I am very excited for Guyana and to see what the future holds for us… To make it this far, it’s a real pleasure. It’s amazing to have a business of your own and much less to have one that’s successful and supplying so many people. It’s a happy feeling,” an excited Joseph told Sunday Stabroek.
Joseph also took the opportunity to update customers about the current expansion which the restaurant is undergoing to provide better quality service for all. He explained that they have expanded the outdoor seating area and added a shed. There will also be a barbeque hut, where persons can view the preparing of their meals while they wait to eat. He expressed delight at having the aroma waft around for patrons and potential customers passing by.
A wide food display will also be set up and this will help tremendously with lunch orders, Joseph said, adding that many people order lunch and have complained about the waiting time. According to Joseph, with this buffet display, the food will be ready and only have to be boxed off for delivery or pick up when orders are made, making the wait time shorter. However, he cautioned that there are meals which require waiting time because can only be prepared after the order is made, and not before. He asked that customers be patient with those type of orders. Another improvement to the business is the expanded kitchen and hiring of more staff.
Joseph told this newspaper that he had to overcome mental hurdles when he was opening his business because at that time many people were closing shop while he was taking on the risk. He explained that getting resources was a challenge and that he had to be very frugal with his own spending. However, he said that in the wake of the pandemic more people were willing to work as part of the staff, making hiring easier.
The Vice-President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, Gerry Gouveia Jr, was also in attendance. He congratulated Joseph for the work done over the year. He also encouraged others to open businesses. “I always say if there’s any time to be in Guyana, it’s right now. Around the world, companies are coming to Guyana looking to invest and you have young entrepreneurs like Mario’s juice bar who came here they set up shop. I have such an honor to work with them here at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce,” he said. He added that the Chamber is always looking to promote small- and medium-scale business development.
