CHEWING FAT
With Stephanie Scott
STEPHANIE SCOTT, owner of SSCO Events planning company, is many things – a teacher, an eclectic person (her words), fluent in Spanish, an event planner and as of three months ago, the woman who gave birth to her son’s idea of a Kingston Restaurant Week (KRW).
Restaurant weeks have been successful in Europe and the United States and she felt it was an idea that could work in Jamaica. Ironically, Scott has never attended or participated in restaurant week activities anywhere, but is very knowledgeable about them through research.
The Gleaner spoke with Scott about her work, her family and plans for KRW.
“Like New York, I want KRW to show increased volumes for the 23 restaurants participating – this can be up to 50 per cent above normal. The idea is to encourage and promote the trend towards dining out,” Scott said.
ELEMENTS OF CIVIC PRIDE
She admits that her love for food, dining out and having fun influenced her desire to promote and present KRW.
But there were also elements of civic pride in staging a pro Kingston event (she’s a Kingstonian) and fuelling commercial activity at a time when the restaurant business is in a lull.
“Hopefully down the line, it will be an event that visitors from abroad will use as a reason to visit Jamaica. It will also give the sponsors a big boost,” Scott asserts.
Food, in Scott’s view, should be on equal footing with music, dance, theatre and other important cultural activities in Jamaica. She cites the diverse and eclectic qualities of Jamaican foods which should be celebrated. She is happy with the response and the relative ease with which she sold the idea to major sponsors, The Gleaner and other stakeholders.
“The difficulty is with logistics and timing as well as fine-tuning all aspects, but I want KRW to become a staple on the calendar.” It is being kept exclusively to Kingston in the first instance but in the future it could spread to other capitals – if they can accommodate it. “It could begin in those areas and build momentum to culminate in Kingston,” Scott said.
She added that she would love to see the after-dinner activities developed and an
entertainment package put in place for diners to enjoy after their meal. “We have plans for expansion that will mushroom as time goes by. For the week of November 12-19, 2005, the 23 participating restaurants have agreed to slash their prices to between 30 and 50 per cent, so that more Jamaicans can experience their offerings.”
HOW IT WORKS
The restaurants are divided into three categories offering a fixed price menu, reflective of their cuisine. The menu consists of two appetisers, two main courses and two desserts. They will be divided into three categories, namely delectable for $2,000 per person; savouries at $1,000 per person; and tasties will cost $800 per person. Patrons will have to pay GCT, gratuity as well as cost of beverages other than the one given free by two sponsors, Wisynco and Wray & Nephew. “The idea is to get more people excited about dining out,” Scott said. But KRW is just the first step along a journey for Scott who describes herself as someone who loves to teach, do event promotions and celebrate life. “When I left the classroom I moved into marketing villas in Port Antonio. I worked with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and that led to planning weddings for foreigners. I started small and even produced the decorations by hand,” she said. Teaching is a passion and she still continues with children, aged three to 10 in Spanish, reading and creative writing. But that’s not surprising if one considers that her father is Dr Ralph Thompson, whose work in the field of education is legendary. Her mother is a champion in the area of volunteerism. One of four children, Scott had a childhood she describes as “‘blessed” with parents who encouraged them to explore and try new things. The foundation has given them the ability to survive. On the threshold of 50 (October 31), Scott was given a surprise party two weeks ago in Florida by her younger sister who brought together her aunt, brother, her two best friends as well as other close friends from Jamaica for a memorable day. There have been serious challenges but she has raised two sons, Nicholas, aged 25, who is now pursuing a double master’s degree at the Kennedy School at Harvard. Her other son Sean is 23 and works with Wray & Nephew.
Scott’s husband Gary runs a lumber company. She speaks fondly of their early married years in Honduras and the lasting legacy of a family fluent in Spanish. “That is an amazing asset and I think it’s important that more Jamaicans learn Spanish,” she said.
I hope KRW will be successful in increasing exposure for the restaurants and sponsors will get good value for money. Jamaicans can celebrate their own cuisine and be enriched by the experience every year.
MORE RESTAURANTS
Scott thinks there is room for more restaurants in Jamaica, especially something that celebrates the fact that we produce the best coffee in the world. There also needs to be more restaurants where people could go after late-night events or places for afternoon tea or a
sushi bar.
Favourite food: All kinds, except tripe but she prefers oriental cuisine. Favourite Drink: Wines.
Favourite Fruits: Mango and banana. Favourite Vegetable: All of them, especially in salads.
On Vegetarians: Would not become one but she avoids red meat.
Earliest Food Memory: Eating jerk pork and roast breadfruit in Boston, Portland, before the community became so popular.
Final Word: I hope KRW will be successful in increasing exposure for the restaurants and sponsors will get good value for money. Jamaicans can celebrate their own cuisine and be enriched by the experience every year.