A bubbly self-service lunch parlour with a difference is what the Kweole Pot offers to its clients.
This locally owned restaurant-and-bar ideally situated in the vicinity of the S&S mini-Business Centre at Bois D’Orange, along the busy northern highway began serving the public from July this year
Andrea Mathurin, affectionately known as ‘Suzanne,’ has fulfilled her life-long dream of managing her own restaurant after several years of working the kitchens of some top-ranked hotels on the island.
She formed a business partnership with Titus Elizee and drew from their combined and vast experience serving in the hospitality sector to launch a bold move
“I have always wanted to do something different in the hospitality industry and when I got this opportunity to open my own restaurant I was thrilled with the challenge that lay ahead,” Suzanne said excitedly. “It was something that I longed for, for quite some time and then I got the right business partner who was ever willing to share this experience with me.”
To start the ball rolling, Suzanne and Titus first had to scout around the northern area before deciding that the S&S mini-Business Centre was the suitable place to launch their business.
The Kweole Pot menu is distinguished by its Caribbean cuisine that utilises fresh local produce for their delicious meals. Suzanne purchases the bulk of her produce from local farmers and fishermen. She remains resolute in her support for growth and sustainability of the local produce market, backing the slogan “Eat Local, Grow Local.”
With a complement of 13 employees on the payroll, Suzanne operates on a two-hour shift spread over the hours of 11.30 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. daily, Mondays through Saturdays.
Suzanne promotes an ‘after-work lime’ on Saturdays that is quite popular, making the restaurant a favourite out-of town, afternoon chill-out spot. She loves to see how thrilled her patrons are when they visit the Kweole Pot, which caters to people who want to enjoy “a tasty dish, make orders or just basically come in and serve themselves.”
Fortune favours the brave and the bubbly Suzanne was never hesitant about utilising her entrepreneurial skills, having once run a meat shop, which added to her business experience.
Due to her charming personality, which, over the years, has continued to resonate with all and sundry, Suzanne attracted a wide range of friends in the hospitality sector. Several of them are now her customers, as is the case with other patrons who drop in for a meal out of curiosity. “My foreign friends from the industry and the locals have all supported us well,” says Suzanne, beaming gratefully.
Her love for cooking began at the tender age of 10. “I was raised as a second child in a family of five siblings, “says Suzanne. “So it was kind of forced on me to prepare meals for the family. I quickly adapted because I realised how exciting it was to season the different meats with all the local peppers and herbs….and how my father, especially, would enjoy them, and of course, my siblings.”
She later began to cook different dishes “and send some to my neighbors to sample and the results were always good. When I got into the food and beverage industry I would always find myself in the kitchen which boosted my interest in cooking even more and inspired me to open an all-Creole restaurant.”
Suzanne is not only living her life-long dream. She enjoys the challenge and her ability to earn a livelihood doing what she loves, but most of all, she wants to provide service of the highest standard. “We want to serve local food with class,” she states. “I want to be consistent and keep customers in touch with sumptuous meals and good healthy eating habits.”
Dazzle wishes Suzanne success with her cooking exploits.
