Stephanie Scott’s vision and KRW
SHE IS an event planner and marketing expert with several years of experience. She is Stephanie Scott, head of SSCO Event Management Company and the woman who seized the vision for a Kingston Restaurant Week (KRW). Three years since its inception, her passion for KRW is as intense as when she first sat with The Gleaner to begin this exciting partnership. Food spoke with Scott about her interest in KRW and where she wants to see it go. FOOD: How did your interest in food and fine dining evolve?
SC: Originally, from the social aspect of it – being the ultimate people person, food and the fellowship of a fine meal in an interesting ambience seemed like something I would like to promote and be part of.
You must have had dreams of KRW for some time, take us back to its genesis.
Actually not. Some sudden life changes made it necessary for me to find a new career, and when my son and soon-to-be daughterin-law passed the idea by me, I very spontaneously jumped at the challenge and the prospect.
How easy or how difficult was it to sell the KRW idea to sponsors?
Originally, very easy. Everyone I approached saw it as a fresh, new idea with potential both from a business point of view and as a welcome addition to the capital’s lifestyle.
When will Montego Bay and Ocho Rios come on stream, since there are obviously not enough restaurants in the rest of the island to support this venture for an entire week?
I cannot make any promises. The challenge is to make it profitable enough to support the necessary teams to promote and execute the events while maintaining the attention to detail and excellence that we are proud of and demand. What’s new this year? There is no major new addition this year. The limbo in which the economy sat for much of the year, along with elections and hurricane, made it difficult to move to an expansion mode. But, we have added six new restaurants and are concentrating on solidifying the model and maximising the most benefit for both the restaurants and the sponsors.
Three years on, do you have any regrets? Where would you like to see KRW in 10 years?
No regrets, but I have hopes to eventually include other Jamaican cities. I would love for KRW’s success and excitement to enhance Kingston as a tourist destination where people, and foodies, will travel here for the week to experience the food and the culture. I would also like to see greater press coverage from entities such as the Food Network, leading publications, and visiting chefs partaking and savouring our city.
I would love to see more club involvement with the spin-off of major acts and artistes coming on board for the week. Also, I would like to perhaps create a critical mass and transport it overseas – for example ‘KRW comes to New York’.
The challenge is to find ways to increase the revenue without compromising the quality in order to support this expansion.
What has been your best KRW memory so far?
It was when a waiter at one of the participating restaurants pulled me aside on a visit there in May and said, “Miss Scott, me love you and me love Kingston Restaurant Week. When yuh going to do it again? I can’t wait so I can buy a new fridge from Courts.” That, and making my children proud.