By Isanella Patoir
The idea for the newly opened Bistro Wine and Champagne Bar was born two years ago, just about the time when the very first Bistro Café and Bar opened its doors at Middle Street, Georgetown.
Owner Harrinand Ralph Persaud explained that it was while finalizing plans for King’s Jewellery World stores at MovieTowne, he thought of also bringing Bistro to the location. Persaud is also the Chief Financial and Marketing Officer for King’s Jewellery.
“This idea for Bistro number two came across about two years ago when we happened to come across this spot and immediately we thought it would be the second location for Bistro,” Persaud said.
The Bistro Wine and Champagne Bar held a grand opening Friday evening just as the sun was setting. With the windows of the new location almost touching the floor, guests were able to look over the Atlantic Ocean with soft music playing in the background.
“I thought the views that we had here, it’s something so special we had to share with the rest of the world and of course being in the luxury industry we have an eye for detail, and this is something we thought was extremely important, to showcase Guyana’s beauty and the seawalls is something we all grow up with and this Bistro being in this spot enable us to take it to another level,” Persaud said.
Customers can enjoy a hot or cold beverage of their choice in a relaxing atmosphere with excellent service.
Persaud said all the wines are directly from vineyards in Chile, Argentina, France and Italy; local beers and rum are also available with a wide selection of cocktails and champagne.
It was noted that this location will be the main sushi spot for Bistro with an Indian Chef who prepares authentic Japanese fish, tuna, salmon, prawns and vegetable sushi.
The new location is also open to catering for private events.
Persaud noted that he is always comfortable investing in Guyana and confident that the business will grow. He is encouraging everyone to come and experience Bistro Wine and Champagne Bar.
“It is something that you will have to come out and see, I think it is one of the most comfortable environments with a beautiful view and have a glass of wine.”
He highlighted that as Guyana gets ready for first oil, customers will demand a higher level of entertainment.
Meanwhile, President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mitra Ramkumar who was also present at the opening, praised the Persaud family for always delivering standard and service. According to Ramkumar this is critical in the tourism industry.
“They have been serving the industry with a high degree of excellence, they offer a premium product and it only adds to the value of the industry,” Ramkumar said.
He urged that other businesses be consistent.
“You need to be consistent in quality service delivery, you need to train and retrain, all of this has to be a continuous work in progress, it cannot be a one-off situation,” Ramkumar explained.
He recommends daily meeting with staff to discuss goals and challenges and how to deal with those challenges.
“Every single member of the Organisation gets involved in that process, not only the frontline staff, the person who washes the dishes, the person who welcomes you at the door, everyone needs to be apart,” Ramkumar said.
Through the Guyana Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, a programme for delivering quality service is offered to restaurants, hotels and immigration and customs officers.
“This is a programme that we want to extend to taxi drivers and everyone that plays a part in this industry,” Ramkumar said.
Director of Sports, Christopher Jones added that the opening of Bistro Wine and Champagne Bar reinforces confidence in Guyana’s economy.
“This is a multimillion-dollar investment and no business person would do this amount of investment unless he has confidence in the economy,” Jones noted.
On a personal note, he said the environment in what he has been looking for where he can sip a glass of wine and look at the ocean.
