Jinnie sat in her upgraded Virgin Upper Class seat with a gin and tonic. She could get used to her and the family booking Premium and travelling Upper Class. In her view Upper Class wasn’t quite BA First Class but it was way cheaper and far better than BA’s Business Class. She was spending her time beginning to formulate her report on just what she saw as SuperBurger’s problems. She wasn’t a specialist in purchasing quality meat or making better burgers but she recognised a rundown chain in need of a corporate makeover when she saw it. She had decided that she would be better off directing her report at something she did understand, the corporate image, plenty of other board members would be looking at the food offering. She had the huge advantage of being involved with several successful chains each with its own distinct image, be it the upmarket Trattoria Trevi, TT Ennios and TT Continental, or the mid-market Artisan Sandwiches and Sybaritic or the mass market Aunty JoJo’s.
Jinnie had left the SuperBurger board meeting with the start of a plan in her head and had driven over to the other side of Crawley to the offices of Wright Refurbishment. She parked in a visitor place and noted that Belinda’s car was there. The girl who answered the door comms buzzer had obviously no idea who Dame Jinnie De Luca was but said she would check if Belinda was free. Seconds later the door opened, and a smiling Andrew led her up to Belinda’s glass partitioned office. Belinda had offered her a seat and as Jinnie sat down Andrew was withdrawing from the impromptu meeting. Jinnie said, “Andrew, please don’t go, I want to discuss something that I think you might well be involved with.”
Jinnie had then explained how she was now also a director of SuperBurger but had found them to be a mess. How, to the outside world, they appeared to be a successful company, but they were actually suffering falling sales and it was only the 50% of DKL profits that was keeping their balance sheet looking healthy. She told them of the coffee and burger tastings and the results and the chairman’s reaction. Andrew said he was hardly surprised. Amongst his friends SuperBurger had a reputation for being expensive and selling inferior food. He added, “If the food was any good, I wouldn’t object to paying more than at Burger King, but it’s rubbish and the local branch looks pretty run down.”
“My point entirely,” Jinnie had said and explained how the directors had been asked to come up with plans to rejuvenate the company. Jinnie said she expected everyone to concentrate on the products, but she wanted to look at the outlets and who did she know who could come up with a refreshed corporate image? Of course, it was Wright Refurbishment and Andrew, who had done it for so many of her businesses previously. Jinnie asked Belinda if she could spare a bit of Andrew’s time to come up with some designs. Belinda chuckled and said, “Look at him, he’s itching to have a go, he’d lynch me if I said no. But tell me, would you want to refurbish the whole chain, don’t they have over 1,000 outlets?”
“I think I will be recommending a trial initially, maybe half a dozen outlets with the new menu that is certain to be suggested, and monitor carefully how things go,” replied Jinnie. “I think we may have to spend quite a lot of money doing the whole chain, but I reckon that it will quickly be obvious that the refurbished branches are making more money than the original branches. I think it will be a huge job to do all 900 odd branches but Wright Refurbishment will have several things going for it if the board want to go out to tender, they will have to come up with the design concept and know how much it costs, they are fully owned by a 50% owned subsidiary so part of the cost comes back in the DKL dividend and most importantly I will be shouting for you and showing them what you are capable of.”
***
Jinnie checked on Willie, he was watching ‘Shaun the Sheep’ on the seat-back TV and giggling happily. Jinnie’s report was coming along nicely, the main part was done but she needed Andrew’s input, she was looking forward to his drawings and images. Belinda had promised to cost it on a per-branch basis and offer a discount for a multi-branch order. Jinnie had made her recommendations of a 12-branch pilot and really couldn’t do a lot more until she got the Wright Refurbishment input, so she put aside her iPad and settled down to watch an old ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and was quickly giggling away with Willie.
The twins were now used to flying into Bridgetown but got excited when they flew over the port and saw a cruise ship tied up alongside the cruise terminal. Willie said to his mother, “I love looking at that ship, it reminds me of Christmas.” A few minutes later the A350-1000 touched down and taxied up to the terminal. Just like their flight at Christmas, the passengers at the front of the plane exited first and boarded buses at the foot of the steps. But this time the bus took them to immigration, baggage reclaim, and customs, and not straight to a cruise ship. But they were quickly out front of the arrivals building and the twins sat on their ride-on hand luggage, Willie had an orange tiger and Millie a red ladybird, while Paolo went to get the hire car. They had pre-booked a Toyota Noah minibus, an eight-seater with child seats, just in case they needed the extra seats.
Paolo was quickly back with the minibus and pulled up beside the waiting family who were quickly loaded into the Toyota’s cavernous interior. Turning up the air conditioning to counter the late afternoon heat, Paolo said, “OK gang I think I know the way to the hotel so let’s go.” Forty minutes later Jinnie had to wake the twins when they arrived at the hotel. Izzy said, “My you have done us proud Jinnie this looks really classy.”
The twins loved the suite Jinnie booked, they could walk straight out of their bedroom onto the patio and down the steps into the pool. But Jinnie made them promise not to go into the pool unless one of the adults was there. Jinnie and Izzy quickly unpacked while the twins investigated the TV in the sitting room in their parents’ suite. The three rooms were lovely, and the twins liked the idea that they had their own room and their own key cards which Izzy put in a clear plastic holder on a ribbon around their necks. By the time the ‘kids’ tea’ was served in the open-air restaurant at 5pm it was all the twins could do to stay awake to eat considering that it was four hours later than the U.K. and consequently well past their usual bedtime.
***
The following morning the twins were bright and awake early and as usual ready for breakfast, which again was served in the open-air restaurant by the beach. Despite it being a ‘buffet’ there was everything the twins normally loved, but they spied the omelette station and requested freshly cooked omelettes instead of their normal boiled eggs and soldiers. Izzy told them that they could have them while they were on holiday, but she was useless at making them so not to get too used to them as they would not be on the menu at home. After breakfast Izzy, Paolo and the twins went down to the magnificent beach while Jinnie took Noah, as the minibus was being called, into Bridgetown to meet Patricia at Aunty JoJo’s offices.
It being Saturday morning the offices were quiet and Jinnie found Patricia enjoying coffee with Monica and Brooke. Brooke had flown out two days before Jinnie and then she, Keith and Monica had been to Antigua the previous day to have a quick look at the restaurant Monica had been offered. They had asked Trevor to go with them, but he had been unable to go that day. Brooke explained that the restaurant was in the town of Saint John’s, the island’s capital, and was just inside the Heritage Quay Cruise Terminal. Anyone leaving the terminal and walking into town had to pass the restaurant. When they had visited, there were two fairly large ships in port, but the terminal could handle up to five of the biggest cruise ships at once. As the restaurant owner had died and it was up for sale, it was currently closed but Brooke and Monica had been impressed by its location, modern kitchen and general condition. Keith had pointed out some minor work was needed, and it could do with a lick of paint.
Monica pointed out that until recently the restaurant had done most of its trade at lunchtime when the cruise ships were in port and the evening trade had been much quieter catering for island residents and visitors staying on the island, but recently some of the cruise lines had started flying some passengers into Antigua and that had meant some ships overnighting in Saint John’s. Brooke explained that as of November P&O were going to do just that enabling them to offer seven-day cruises from Barbados to Antigua or the reverse. Or even 14-night cruises back to Antigua just as they did from Bridgetown.
Brooke said, “I hope you don’t think I am jumping the gun, but I have been talking to a contact I made at P&O when sorting the sandwich bar out and said we are thinking about a high-class dining offering on the evenings they have ships in port. They said could they sell a fixed price excursion; table d’hôte say five-course meal within a short walk of the ship.” “Has anyone looked at costing?” asked Jinnie. “Would there be enough ships overnighting to offer the excursion say six nights a week, would we be filling the whole restaurant this way or only say 200 covers and sell the other 100 normally?”
“The port authority tells me that from November they will have at least one ship overnighting seven nights a week. The ships vary in size between 2,700 and over 7,000 passengers. Admittedly they will be from all sorts of cruise companies, but P&O’s owners Carnival are going to be using it to overnight ships from their own fleet, Princess, Costa and Holland America. But so many companies visit Saint John’s I bet we could fill the place every night, but I think we should limit the covers to say 200, leaving the other one hundred to local reservations on an a la carte menu.”
“That all sounds good,” replied Jinnie, “but firstly I have no idea how much the restaurant is on the market for and how much it would cost to turn into a TT Continental, even if it would be possible, how much it would cost to run, even if it would make us a profit. And I haven’t seen it yet, I might hate it! While I’m out here, I’d like to go and see it and to take Trevor. If we do buy it, I would promote him to Caribbean Area Director and put him over the two restaurant managers. He has proved himself. Now, as you were there yesterday, I take it we can get there and back in a day.”
“Absolutely,” said Patricia, “it’s just over an hour flying time in each direction and if you get the morning flight out, there is a late afternoon back. It gives you plenty of time to get into Saint John’s and see the restaurant.” “Right,” said Jinnie, “I want to speak to Trevor, Brian and Belinda and see if they will come, the more opinions the better. Let’s provisionally arrange the trip for the day after the board meeting.”
Jinnie and Brooke had a wander around the main Bridgetown branch and were delighted to see it was very busy, they then drove over to the Rockley branch which was just as busy. Finally, they visited the DKL kitchen in Bridgetown, where several of the kitchens were busy, but Andersons and TT Continental were deserted, as they didn’t open until late afternoon.
As Jinnie drove she had been thinking about the restaurant in Saint John’s and suddenly said to Brooke, “What do you think of this as an idea? If we were to buy the Antigua restaurant, the current plan would only make use of it in the evening, we could also open during the day. The cruise I was on at Christmas stopped at Antigua and the passengers crowded the bars and cafes around the port, buying loads of drinks and food. I could see it as an Aunty JoJo’s during the day, but not a takeaway, a sit down with an expanded menu, maybe things tourists like, spaghetti bolognaise and Pizza and lots of cheap beer.”
“I love it,” said Brooke. “It could be like the Sybaritic/Artisan Sandwiches fusion at home, Aunty JoJo’s/TT Continental, I think it could be a winner, I saw all those people off a cruise ship tucking into an ‘all day full English’ washed down with several bottles of the local Wadadli beer.” “That’s another one to put on the local Aunty JoJo’s menu,” replied Jinnie.
***
Back at the Colony Club, Jinnie phoned Trevor to ask if he would accompany her on a quick trip to Antigua to look at a possible new TT Continental on Wednesday. After hearing he should be back in time for evening service he agreed. Then he said he was surprised that Jinnie hadn’t made a dinner booking with them while she was in town. Jinnie explained that they were staying at the Colony Club, and she was combining a board meeting with a family holiday and had the twins and their nanny with them. After a moment’s pause Trevor said, “I have a cancellation for tonight at six, how about I book you in for five, the table is sold again at 8:30 but with the twins I’m sure you will be finished well before then.” “Yes please,” replied Jinnie, “the twins are used to eating at the Trattoria Trevi and adore what they call “posh food.”
Jinnie strolled down to the beach and found the rest of the family on the sandy beach. The twins were splashing at the water’s edge with two boys who Jinnie guessed bracketed the twins in age. No sooner than she had settled on a lounger under a beach umbrella than a waiter arrived asking if she wanted a drink. Jinnie ordered a Pepsi Max without ice and settled back to tell Paolo and Izzy they were all going to the TT Carlton for an early dinner. Izzy asked, “Do I need to get dressed up?” And Jinnie replied, “Smart casual, no jeans, I think the restaurant here has a stricter dress code!”
Paolo pulled the people carrier up outside the TT Continental and before he had applied the hand brake a doorman had the front passenger door open saying, “Good evening Dame Jinnie, I’m Tom and I wasn’t here last time you were on the island. Gabriel will park the car for you when you are ready.” Izzy and the twins got out of the car and Tom shook hands with them all and said “Hello” to them and, “Welcome to the TT Continental.” Trevor was waiting for them in reception to welcome them and show them to their table in a half-full restaurant.”
As they walked to their table, Willie said to his mother, “I like this, it’s really posh, do they do spaghetti bolognaise?” “I seem to remember they do,” said Jinnie, “with lots of grated cheese.” “Excellent,” replied Willie. As they were seated, waiters fussed with booster cushions for the twins, napkins, iced water and menus. Millie, who had been quiet suddenly said, “This is just like the ship at Christmas, I like it.” Jinnie asked Trevor, “How long have you and Tom been parking cars?” “We asked diners what we could do to improve their experience and they were two of the top things. When we have so many of the top people on the island dining here, I want to keep them, I don’t want to lose customers to Sandy Lane.”
Just as Jinnie had said, the Children’s menu had spaghetti bolognese and it was ordered by the twins, but it had been a close thing between it and mahi mahi fish fingers and chips. Jinnie had promised the twins they could eat dinner at Anderson’s tomorrow, and he did those lovely flying fish, fish fingers and that settled it, spaghetti tonight and Anderson’s fish fingers tomorrow. A children’s menu was another innovation making Jinnie even more sure that Trevor was the ideal area manager, not afraid to make decisions without referring every little thing back up the tree for an answer.
The food had, if anything, been even better than Jinnie remembered and the twins declared the spaghetti to be as good as the Trattoria Trevi and had jumped at the idea of banana splits for dessert when Jinnie explained they were bananas, ice cream and cream, three of their favourite desserts in one. But it was the chocolate sauce, wafers and sprinkles that made Millie say it, “Was the best dessert ever.” After coffee, and hot chocolate for the twins (another Trevor innovation), Jinnie proffered her black Visa debit card and Trevor waved it away saying, “There is no charge for directors, we make enough from our VIP customers to cover a few meals on the house. Mr and Mrs Quarendon are in on Tuesday, and I will not be charging them either. Now, if you are ready, I will arrange for Gabriel to fetch your transport.”
As Paolo drove back to the hotel, Jinnie asked the twins if the food was as good as Trattoria Trevi. The twins had a discussion before Millie said, “We like the soup better at Trattoria Trevi, the spaghetti was equal, but the dessert was better than plain ice cream.” Jinnie laughed and said, “I’ll tell Uncle Alberto to put banana split or maybe peach melba on the menu next time we eat there.” A sleepy Willie wanted to know what a peach melba was.
Back in the suite, the message light on the room phone was flashing and Jinnie found a message from Patricia who said she had tried to call Jinnie’s mobile but it had been turned off while in the restaurant and Patricia wanted to tell her Michael Watson would be ready to exchange contracts on Thursday and would she call him to arrange a document signing and she had spoken to the agent in Antigua and he would be happy to show her the restaurant on Wednesday. Did she know how many people were travelling on Wednesday as they needed to get tickets soon as the plane was only a 50-seat jet? Jinnie quickly rang Belinda’s mobile and after the normal greetings explained about the trip to Antigua and Belinda quickly agreed that she and Brian would be happy to join her and Trevor.
Jinnie immediately rang Patricia back to confirm the four travellers and while on the phone, Patricia used her laptop to grab four of the five remaining seats on the 09:45 flight to Antigua. Fortunately, there were more seats available on the 16:30 back. The tickets were paid for with Jinnie’s debit card and the electronic tickets sent to her phone to be printed out in the hotel’s business centre. Patricia reminded Jinnie that like Britain, Whit Sunday was like any other Sunday in Barbados, but that Whit Monday was a bank holiday and many of the shops would be shut. Jinnie said they didn’t intend to do anything special on Sunday, only to eat at Anderson’s in the evening and perhaps it would be nice if she and Monica joined them. Then she thought about adding Brian and Belinda and finally Lenny and his wife Linda, she really owed her life to Lenny.
It was still only early evening as they had dined so early so Jinnie went about organising the impromptu dinner party at Anderson’s first, one again she phoned Belinda and invited her and Brian, then she rang Lenny who said he and his wife would be delighted to join them. Then he said it would enable him to give her protection the evening off. Jinnie said, “You have me under protection?” “Yes,” replied Lenny, “ever since you landed there have always been at least two of my people close by.” Jinnie said, “Well, all I can say is they are bloody good; I’m supposed to be trained in spotting close surveillance but I haven’t seen them.” “That’s because you haven’t really been looking for them, I bet you see them tomorrow.”
Finally, Jinnie rang Anderson and after saying ‘hello’ and exchanging pleasantries she requested a booking for nine adults and two children. Anderson said now the main season was coming to a close it wasn’t anything like as busy and that wouldn’t be a problem and seeing there were children was it the twins and would they want fish fingers? Jinnie said, “Of course, and I feel like making a special event so can you be sure to have lobster and halibut available.” With the arrangements made Jinnie joined Paolo and Izzy in chairs on the patio outside the twin’s room and enjoyed perfect room service gin and tonics in the warm Caribbean air.
***
Sunday morning dawned sunny and hot, Jinnie had forgotten that it was changing from the dry season to the wet season in the Caribbean and that it could be hotter in the summer than the constant 28° of the Christmas cruise they had so enjoyed. The forecast today was for it to be at least 5° higher. After their buffet breakfast taken in the open-air restaurant on the hotel’s seafront terrace, the family made for the beach. The twins were reluctantly coated in waterproof factor 50 sunscreen, but Jinnie noted how they were already gaining a tan after a short time on holiday. Before going to dig in the sand, Willie asked his mother if she had remembered her promise to take them to Anderson’s today. Jinnie told him it was all booked and that there was going to be a big party as his godparents Brian and Belinda were coming as were Patricia and Monica and Lenny and his wife.
The twins looked puzzled and finally Millie said, “We remember Patricia, she that nice old black lady from the chicken shop, but we don’t know Monica or Lenny and his wife.” Jinnie laughed and said, “I’d forgotten you don’t know some of the people I work with. You’ll like Monica, she is a director of Aunty JoJo’s, very pretty and very smart. Lenny is from the British Embassy, and he helped me when I had to go to hospital and, come to think of it, I have never met his wife.”
The day passed wonderfully, the twins were in and out of the warm sea several times and Izzy had to fetch numerous big fluffy beach towels from the hotel towel station by the steps onto the beach, once wet they went into a big wheel tub that was removed every so often and replaced with an empty one. At lunchtime the twins demanded food and the party headed to the beach restaurant and had a snack lunch, not too much as they were looking forward to Anderson’s but the twins both consumed a hot dog with fried onions which was declared ‘Good’. It was back to their loungers under a big umbrella that a beach boy put up for them as the early afternoon sun was really hot. Too hot even for the twins who played on their iPads in the shade, before everyone retreated to the terrace by their room and a family swim in the pool.
Jinnie and Izzy got the twins showered and changed for dinner. Jinnie had to admit that this was an easier job than it used to be. They were happy to shower themselves, but still loved to be dried by an adult in a big fluffy hotel towel. They also now had firm ideals of what they wanted to wear and dressed themselves. They often liked to dress similarly, and tonight was no exception, they had chosen blue shorts and tropical shirts with a hummingbird pattern. Izzy told them they looked good enough to eat and they collapsed in a fit of giggles.
Paolo drove then the five minutes to Anderson’s in the people carrier and parked in the drive of Hibiscus Villa. Willie and Millie looked at the shuttered villa and asked if it was empty saying they had loved staying there last summer. Jinnie said, “How would you like to stay here again in the summer holidays?” and the twins chorused “Yes.” Jinnie continued, “Well, Mummy and Daddy are going to buy it while we are here, so we can come here whenever we have a holiday.” Willie looked a little unsure and then asked, “Does that mean we won’t be going on a cruise this Christmas?” Jinnie replied, “Don’t you worry, the cruise is booked but we could have a few days here as well, it just depends on the flights and how it fits in with the school holidays.”
The party strolled off down the path to Anderson’s where Brian and Belinda were sat on stools at the bar – with tall, iced rum punches – chatting to the owner. It was just dark and suddenly coloured lights were turned on in all the trees and bushes around the bar making it look magical. Jinnie said to Anderson, “This is new,” and he replied, “Yes, have you noticed I have enlarged the terrace and we also have extended the building sideways and added an open-air roofed section, so we have more covered seating when it rains. Since opening the delivery business, we have been attracting a lot more customers and we have had to enlarge the car park and take on more staff.” “So, things are going well?” asked Jinnie. “Excellently,” he answered. “Business is booming, and I am looking at opening another branch near the Aunty JoJo’s in Rockley. Keith is busy working out the scheme and the costs.”
Jinnie said, “I’m impressed, the place looks fantastic.” “Thanks,” said Anderson. “Keith’s team has been busy, and it has really paid off. Business has been fantastic. We seem to have attracted a lot of new customers from the five-star hotels. It all started when the press reviewed the Dark Kitchen and gave the TT Carlton and us rave reviews. The money started rolling in and I started investing and it has really paid huge dividends. I have paid off the loan I took out to buy into the kitchens and now will be taking another kitchen when the first Trinidad kitchens open in a month or so.”
With everyone seated, Anderson passed out menus and Jinnie said, “Gosh, you’ve expanded your menu.” Anderson grinned and explained, “With the kitchens we sell a lot more fish, so we are able to buy a bigger range of fish, and that means we sell more.” The twins had already decided they were having flying fish fingers, Jinnie, Lenny and Brian chose lobster, Belinda and Paolo picked whole Dover sole on the bone, while Lenny’s wife Molly, went for monkfish tail and Monica and Patricia chose the halibut. Anderson nodded as he recorded each order on his tablet, before he asked about a starter suggesting shared platters of mixed fried shrimp, curried, crispy and coconut which was quickly agreed.
The shrimp arrived very quickly and was speedily demolished. The twins preferred the coconut which Patricia explained was really Cajan, but she also liked it best. Then the main courses arrived with platters of chips, tiny new potatoes and vegetables. Anderson asked if Belinda and Paolo wanted their sole off the bone and proceeded to produce perfect fillets leaving a clean skeleton much to the twin’s amusement. The twins declared the fish fingers ‘epic’ and Jinnie wondered where they had learnt that expression.
Of course, the twins asked if they could have banana splits and Anderson, picking up Jinnie’s slight nod, said, “Of course.” When Anderson brought them out with sparklers in them the twins clapped and cheered, much to the adults’ delight. The twins played happily on their tablets while the adults drank coffee and chatted before the party broke up and everybody headed back to their cars.
In Chapter 18 – The Board Meeting
© WorthingGooner 2024
