Flying Fish creates 40 jobs in GB

Thu, Mar 15th 2012, 10:11 AM

A cutting-edge restaurant will create 40 new jobs in Grand Bahama at a time when the economy needs it most. Flying Fish, nestled between the Grand Lucayan and Pelican Bay, has invested $300,000 in a high-end culinary experience unlike anything else in the country, according to head chef and owner Tim Tibbitts.

 He believes Grand Bahama is poised for a serious turnaround, and there is no better time to invest in a business than now. But to do that, stakeholders on the island must work together to create an all-encompassing product.

"Taking a leap of faith in this market is a little scary," Tibbitts said, "but for us, we are so invested in being part of Grand Bahama and the community itself. We love it here.

 We had many offers to do the same thing in Nassau, but we wanted to do it here." Tibbitts, who has opened Flying Fish with his wife, Rebecca, has a long culinary tradition on the island. In 2007, he helped open a fine-dining sushi restaurant, and in 2009 he and his wife launched their own in-house catering company

Flying Fish first kicked off late last month after hiring 26 staff, but Tibbitts told Guardian Business it will soon be opening for lunch. He anticipates 14 new hires before long. The owner expressed confidence in the future of the business, mostly because it benefits from both a corporate and tourism crowd.

 The fine dining atmosphere, he said, is meant to cater to a "fairly decent" industrial market represented by the shipyard, manufacturing, container ports and other sectors. At the moment, the restaurant's clientele is around 90 percent local.

"That said, we can't have a better location as far as tourism goes. We are next door to Pelican Bay and practically share the same parking lot," he explained. "We are really the only true water-side dining option.

You can sit right on the water and it is a fanatic location. We couldn't be luckier in terms of getting what we got." While the owner has aspirations to purchase the property, he is going to wait and see before shelling out $1.5 million.

 Expenses have thus far been kept to a minimum, representing an investment of $300,000, partly because the venue was already outfitted with kitchen equipment. Tibbitts said they "saved a fortune" by renting and taking advantage of existing equipment.

The savings have been welcomed, considering the sophisticated specialty equipment and supplies needed to produce the modernist cuisine. An "anti-griddle", for example, capable of flash-freezing food at -40 degrees celsius, allows the chef to play with temperature and texture.

 Caviar made from fruit and "re-formed" olives, reconstructed after being pureed, are among the list of unusual approaches to cooking. Flying Fish joins a growing list of new restaurants hitting the Grand Bahama scene.

 According to the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), Senor Frogs and Sparky's, due to open in the Lucayan Harbour Cruise Facility in the coming months, should generate up to 60 jobs. Grand Bahama currently has an unemployment rate of more than 21 percent, according to the Department of Statistics.

"It's about time we catch up," Hibbitts told Guardian Business. "We're hoping the economy starts to reveal itself. It has been a long time coming."

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

 Sponsored Ads