Raymond and Agisha David, a Guyanese brother and sister team, have challenged themselves to ‘look in’ on Guyana from their long-established home in Suriname, to test their entrepreneurial mettle in the country’s entertainment sector. By the time the Stabroek Business had wound up its almost one-hour conversation with the two, they had succeeded in persuading us their now almost complete fine dining restaurant, Sweet Elegance, situated at 243 Albert street, is a challenge that they are backing themselves to meet. Their mission is clear cut. Sweet Elegance, David says, seeks to fit snugly into the wider transformational trend in the various sectors of the Guyana economy, not least the entertainment sector. They are determined, he says, that their fine-dining dream will become accepted as part of the urban ‘makeover’ which they see emerging in the country’s capital.
Raymond, whose eagerness to have Sweet Elegance ‘up and running’ very shortly, has already staged at least one ‘soft’ opening, while a small group of beaver-like workmen were still putting the finishing touches to what he fervently hopes will catch the eye of the various categories of potential customers, ranging from the hang-out enthusiasts to the high-browed ‘foodies’ who favour a generous measure of elegance to go along with dishes that please their palates. He wants to be ‘up there’ with the best that there is to offer. The Stabroek Business’ visit to the still incomplete Sweet Elegance last weekend found the brother and sister team focused on the respective ends of their shared responsibility, he casting beady eyes over the progress being made in pursuit of the desired ‘fine tuning’ to accommodate the end result that is envisaged and, she, preoccupied with ensuring that the facility’s Kitchen Staff are ‘up to’ meeting the high culinary and service standards that the two have set for Sweet Elegance.
There are reputations at stake here. Raymond and Agisha are more than a little mindful of their eight-year tenure operating the Hook and Catch Restaurant in Suriname, an experience which has taught them that in ‘this business,’ you allow yourself to slip at your own peril; which is why, Agisha, particularly, will, at least for a while, be anchoring herself to the Sweet Elegance, rather than return to Suriname. They want to ensure that both the culinary and their service standards expectations are met and they want to have an authoritative presence there to watch that happen. Unquestionably, they are seized with the realization that they are now aboard a moving train and that at this stage it will be difficult to get off. Agisha told the Stabroek Business that she considers it “an exciting experience” to oversee the ‘kitchen end’ of a local restaurant, particularly since her culinary pursuits in Guyana will be supported by a much wider variety of local food seasonings than is available in Suriname. There can be no question than that she has high expectations of the outcomes of her efforts.
The Sweet Elegance’s comfort and culinary promises are supported by other decidedly pleasing commitments that include a suite of services, not least, a ‘fine dining’ experience, private dining accommodation and facilities for ‘special events.’ That said, David makes it clear that the new ‘complex’ will be strategically compartmentalized to also accommodate restrained ‘hang out’ types who will, perhaps, settle for a beer, fish and chips and appealing music ‘served’ at a much less than outrageous decibel level. Keen to ensure that he ‘gets it right,’ Raymond is in the process of meticulously ‘going over’ the various ‘ends’ of what he is well aware will remain, for some time, a demanding ‘starting up’ exercise. A handful of ‘trial runs,’ even as the finishing touches are being applied, have persuaded him that the Sweet Elegance has already been well-received and that it remains for himself, Agisha and their team to ensure that they make good on the promises that they have made to their potential market. Still, their sense of ‘busyness’ suggests that from their vantage point there is still a fair amount of ground to cover.
To add to the services which the Sweet Elegance promises to offer, the establishment is equipped with two formidable Food Trucks ‘loaded up’ with kitchen appliances and rations that will allow them to turn up at your outdoor picnic or any other convivial space or even at your home and serve you a meal with a minimum of fuss. David returns to the theme of the timing of the enterprise, pointing out that both he and Agisha have challenged themselves to “make a difference.” It is a promise, he says, they are determined to keep.
