The owners of Carnivale restaurant in Chicago, Illinois broke ground on the $10 million Carnivale Bahamas project yesterday and explained during a press conference to announce the restaurant prior to the groundbreaking, that they expect the waterfront restaurant to be open within one year and employ 120.

The restaurant is part of Sterling Global's Sterling Commons development on Paradise Island and will be only the second Carnivale restaurant and the first outside of the US.

Carnivale co-owner Bill Marovitz told the media yesterday before the groundbreaking ceremony that the company is working on a Carnivale Miami.

Marovitz said they chose The Bahamas because of its natural beauty, the people and the proximity.

"I love The Bahamas, I love the Bahamian people," said Marovitz.

"The climate, the ambiance here is spectacular. It's 30 minutes from Miami Beach.

"I'm surrounded by a marina with some of the biggest boats in the Caribbean on all sides. What could be wrong with that?

"When I saw the location, I thought, my gosh, this is fantastic."

Marovitz said the almost 15,000 square foot indoor/outdoor restaurant will feature Latin cuisine mixed with some Bahamian cuisine. He said he and his co-owner Jerry Cataldo plan to outfit the establishment with Bahamian art and source local produce for their dishes.

Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper said during the press conference to announce Carnivale that Sterling Commons has become known as the downtown of Paradise Island, and he lauded the introduction of a restaurant to the mix.

"Paradise Island in The Bahamas is the ideal location for Carnivale's first expansion outside the United States. And this is a significant point, the first expansion outside of the United States happens to be right here in The Bahamas, right here on Paradise Island, and we welcome you," said Cooper.

"Bill, as a businessman, you have great instincts, as I can see, from selecting Paradise Island as the first place outside of the US, and I am sure that this will be a very profitable venture in an environment itself that has been very high-end and very lucrative."

Cataldo said while he and his co-owner want to create a top tourism destination with Carnivale, one of their main focuses will be on Bahamians and their experience with the restaurant.

"And it's our goal, to have a wonderful, exciting experience with engaging and enlightened service and an experience that people will want to come back to more and more each time they're here, he said.

"But most importantly, for the residents and the people of The Bahamas to want to be here.

"Of course, we want to welcome and support the tourism industry as much as we possibly can, but we also know that this is for the community."

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