The Jolly Trotters – café with a difference
Published:Thursday | December 24, 2020 | 12:06 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
The Jolly Trotters story is one of high expectations followed by disappointment, with perseverance and innovation being hallmarks of the stewardship of Roger Thompson, the man at helm of a company which was poised for take-off when at the 11th hour it was grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A marketing professional with decades of corporate expertise under his belt, having worked in the capacities of general manager, marketing manager and group marketing manager for some of Jamaica’s top companies, Thompson finally decided to parlay his years of business acumen into pursuing a venture of his own, when fate dealt him a cruel hand.
Having done all the requisite due diligence, following years of extensive research to find the right business fit in a dynamic and competitive market, he was finally able to sway investors to put their faith in him and financing into acquiring a long-term lease on the old Cable and Wireless Golf Academy, New Kingston. After acquiring the property and investing heavily in renovating the building which had been closed for many years, they were poised to give the Jamaican capital a makeover, as well as a shot in the arm – and then COVID-19 happened!
Finally, Kingston was poised to join the ranks of other major global capitals – New York, Miami, Barcelona and London, among others, with its own guided city tour, courtesy of the Kingston City Guided Tour. The Tourism Product Development Company had played a pivotal role in the preparation process, having trained and certified nine members of staff, including the tour guide, who would have prepped and practised for her pivotal role of company and country ambassador. She was really looking forward to that first two-and-a-half-hour Kingston round trip.
“Unfortunately, as we are about to launch, COVID came. We had nine members of staff already employed, trained with uniforms and everything. We had a contract signed with Expedia, Travelocity and other overseas tour companies, and then COVID came,” Thompson told The Gleaner, as if repeating the refrain from a hymn.
“That was the business plan for Jolly Trotters and Kingston City Guided Tours. However, COVID came in February and so we had to send home back the staff that we had already invested in because we were ready to execute, at the jump-off point. We had scheduled the public opening and everybody was on board to come and we had to cancel, at the last minute.”
ASSEMBLY POINT
The idea was for the guests to assemble at the Jolly Trotters office, where they could enjoy a cup of coffee or a meal and familiarise themselves with a map of Kingston before heading into their tour bus for a day of excitement and fun, before returning to refresh themselves.
“Unfortunately, COVID came and so we have had to re-engineer our business plan,” Thompson explained.
This was absolutely necessary, in light of the fact that they had invested heavily in renovating the property for which they now held a lease from The Liguanea Club. Faced with that stark reality and cognisant of the prime location with which they were now saddled, the investors weighed their options and dared to keep going.
“We had to now roll out the café, independent of the guided city tour, with the objective of holding on to the property because we had already spent significantly in the renovation of the property. Which is a cost we would have no way of recovering,” Thompson admitted.
“The café seats 20 persons with furniture made from Appleton Rum Estate rum barrels. This umbrella (canopy) feature here is what we took from the city of Barcelona, old San Juan in Puerto Rico, Paris and Miami, which also has its own umbrella feature, and so we thought as we try and differentiate ourselves from the other cafés and provide some point of differentiation.”
And what a café with a major difference it is, as Thompson pointed out.
“It’s 11 o’clock in the morning and we have a full menu served throughout the day. So if you come in the afternoon you can get omelettes and eggs, waffles and pancakes. Or if you come in the morning, you can get a curried goat wrap, or a chicken Panini or a burger, and we specialise in our coffee of which we have over 20 mixes, and we serve only Blue Mountain Coffee.”
Thompson is hopeful that as news gets about the Jolly Trotters Café, more people will be inclined to check out their menu and is confident that once they get a taste of its unique setting and alluring ambience, they will, like his long-time friend Arthur Brown, become repeat customers.
Brown, who was enjoying an ackee and salt fish wrap, in-between sips of coffee and browsing on his electronic device, was quick to endorse the delectable offerings from the latest Kingston hotspot.
“Roger’s place is different in that you don’t get the usual rice and other heavy meals. Instead, you can enjoy a nice, filling and satisfying light lunch. This is where you come to really enjoy yourself at a relaxed pace. The service is fantastic, food is great and the ambience is absolutely wonderful!”