By Gareth S Jules
In the last few years the majority of new businesses launchedinSaint Luciahavebeenfoodbusinesses. We St. Lucians love good food! It’s no wonder that everywhere you turn, there is a restaurant of some sort catering to the varied taste buds of many.
One of the key marketing strategies adopted in recent times has been to deviate from the norm of housing a restaurant in a building to investing in a food truck. After all, times are tough and many proprietors are looking for ways to cut costs, such as rent fees and operating overheads.
Most of these entities operate during hours when most restaurants are closed. Several of them started operating at the entrance of the Bonne Terre gap, catering to partygoers heading home from late night fetes or from a night out at Rodney Bay.
Quite a few of them offer similar but tasty menus. However, one in particular sets itself apart by its creative cuisine and the proprietor’s focus on providing customers with a healthy option in fast food. That business is none other than J’s Wrap Citi.
Jimmy Francis, 43, is the proprietor of J’s Wrap Citi and the brains behind its unique fare. His food truck is located in the Bonne Terre gap in Gros- Islet. Jimmy hails from Aurendel Hill, Marchand. At the age of seven he moved to the south where he later attended the Vieux Fort Junior Secondary and Comprehensive Secondary Schools.
We all go through challenges in life. Jimmy started school very late, at the age of thirteen. In his early years, he could not read and write. He started his schooling in standard three and took about a year to learn to read and write in order to sit the Common Entrance Exams.
After leaving Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary Jimmy moved on to higher heights, overcoming many hurdles, going from being a star athlete, to becoming one of St. Lucia’s first cellular phone technicians and subsequently opening his own successful food business. We sat down with Jimmy for an exclusive interview during which he shared his life story and recounted his triumphs and challenges on the way to achieving his dreams.
Dazzle: Tell us about yourself.
Jimmy: I have always been involved in telecoms. After secondary school I worked at Caribbean Cellular, which was then merged with Cable & Wireless. I started off as a cellphone operator and then became a technician. In 2004, after serving as a technician for about five to seven years, I went to the UK to further my education in electronics and electrical engineering at Lambeth College. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints I had to cut my studies short. But while in London I worked for Vodafone part time and then moved to Canada. There I worked for another telecommunications company called BelCanaa, then I decided to move back home.
Upon my return, I worked for The Cell as the technical manager for two years. Thereafter, I decided to work for myself; I wanted to do my own thing.
At the age of 21 I started writing proposals for myself, storing them on my computer. Doing my own thing had nothing to do with my technical background. I have always loved cooking. I love cooking for my family and so I decided to start my own cooking business.
Dazzle: There is a sharp contrast between your technical background and cooking. Prior to becoming a telecoms technician, did you have any experience as a cook?
Jimmy: Growing up, my mother always cooked for the family. I love food so I was always stuck around, tasting. I love my mother very much and have always remained close to her. I got my love for cooking by always being around her.
Dazzle: What inspired the creation of J’s Wrap Citi?
Jimmy: There’s this friend of mine in Vieux Fort who started doing wraps which became a hit. I approached him and told him that this could be a good thing to do in the north. So I took inspiration and decided to do it my own way, adding more than just wraps to the menu. I started off with the wraps but it took a while to catch on. Once people heard about it, they began to spread the word and came back for more. Right now we have a full menu, most of which is unique stuff such as Putin and Quesadilla. We offer a wide variety of menu options. However, wraps are our main thing.
We also have another truck near Bank of St. Lucia in Gros Islet, focusing on breakfast. We have been in Bonne Terre for a year and a half but we’ve been in operation for over two years with a staff compliment of seven.
Dazzle:What makes J’s Wrap Citi different from the competition?
Jimmy: Taste; our menu is quite different. We also focus a lot on customer service. Through my technical background, I had a lot of experience dealing with people, so that makes my drive to focus on customer service much easier.
Dazzle: What do you think people find most appealing about your menu?
Jimmy: Our wraps are very unique. It is fast food but it’s a healthier option. That’s what really attracts people to us.
Dazzle: What are some of the best compliments you’ve received for your wraps?
Jimmy: I always tell my staff to treat people right. Most people buy with their hearts. If you treat your customers right, most likely they will come back. Most times customers come to us and leave with a smile. That matters a lot. People always tell us that they feel good when they buy from us, especially because of the way they are treated.
Dazzle: Wrap Citi operates in an upscale area. However, in the current economic climate where many food businesses are closing up shop, does that worry you and what drives you to keep on striving with your business?
Jimmy: Success has always been at the top of my list. I am very competitive but fair. I am self-motivated. I want to succeed and leave behind a legacy. That is the one thing on my mind every morning. This is what drives me to do what I do.
Dazzle:What are some of the challenges that are the hardest to overcome?
Jimmy: Staff is my biggest challenge. You have to deal with different personalities but I am a motivator. I always want to see my staff do their best so I try my best to use my customer service experience to motivate them.
Dazzle:What is the most popular item on your menu?
Jimmy: The chicken wrap is the most popular item on the menu. However, the chicken quesadilla is right up there giving it competition.
Dazzle: How difficult is it balancing business with family life?
Jimmy: It’s a challenge. Because I am self-employed, my wife and my daughter are always with me. My daughter was born on the same day that Wrap Citi opened. She has been with us the whole way through, at times sleeping in our vehicle while my wife and I operate Wrap Citi. We do spend a lot of time together, going for drives and so on. Sleep for me is a luxury right now. When I am not working, I spend my time with them or I am sleeping. They know that this is for a time. We have our goals and we’re trying hard to achieve them so we all try to compromise.
Dazzle: What do you do to unwind, apart from spending time with your family?
Jimmy: I spend a lot of my time alone. I run a lot and spend a lot of time visualizing where I want to be. I also spend time on the beach meditating.
Dazzle: What are Wrap Citi’s long-term goals and objectives?
Jimmy: We want to move into a building. We came close to doing so seven months ago but the location wasn’t ideal. We want to move into a building where families can come and sit and enjoy a meal. We also want to expand our menu to accommodate everybody.
Dazzle: Any plans to expand to Castries and the out districts?
Jimmy: Definitely Castries, very soon. Many customers are asking for a location in town since they travel up north for wraps. We are looking into that right now, trying to find the best available location to operate. Once we obtain that, we will definitely be operating in Castries.
Dazzle: What does the future hold for you?
Jimmy: I want to open a couple more businesses. I am a serial entrepreneur. I own a car wash and a cleaning business in addition to Wrap Citi. I want to continue to open service oriented businesses. Also, I am schooling myself through the use of the internet to become a motivational speaker. This is something that I really want to do.
Dazzle: What advice would you give to anyone wishing to open a food business?
Jimmy: It’s hard but what isn’t? If you want something you have to go after it. There may be days where you want to give up, but don’t! Every problem teaches you something. There are challenges but you grow after you overcome them. Afterwards you feel stronger. Just keep at it, talk to yourself and continue to do what you have to do to get where you want to go.
