Rickardo Dacres proud of his achievements after abandoning ‘dangerous path’

As a young man, Rickardo Dacres readily admits that he was on a dangerous path. Growing up in the community of Old Folly, in Discovery Bay, St Ann, Dacres enjoyed partying and playing dominoes with friends. He quietly dreamt of one day opening his own bar, but, as a youth, he became distracted. “My father died when I was young, so I grew up solely with my mother. Every day, I watched her work, and there are certain things I never had while growing up,” recalled Dacres. “Living in the ghetto, I used to be very unruly. I never finished my studies that would have helped me complete my career as a welder back then. I would spend so much time idling.”

A moment of clarity led him to make a U-turn to get on the right path to a productive life. “I used to spend every minute of the day fighting and idling with friends. When I realised I wasn’t getting anywhere in life and was wasting my time, I decided I needed to change. I started by doing things differently by making use of my skill as a welder. I told myself that idling would not get me anywhere, and from that time, I decided to try my best to stay safe because going into a jailhouse is not life. I looked into myself and worked hard to make the best of my situation,” said Dacres.

Determined to do better, Dacres saved up to achieve his dream of having his own bar. As he worked and saved, he took advice from other bar owners and learned the ropes as best he could. He eventually raised funds to build on a portion of land he had received from a relative and opened the doors to his own establishment seven years ago.

Today, Dacres runs the Rick So High Sports Bar, a business and achievement of which he is most proud. Of course, owning the bar has come with its own set of challenges, and Dacres, like other business owners, has felt the pinch of the past year.

“Business for me is slow right now. I can no longer keep parties and round robins like I used to. However, despite things being slow, I am now taking the time to work on renovations to make the space more appealing to customers. Earlier this year, Red Stripe gave the front of the bar a new look with a fresh paint job,” Dacres said.

As he continues to stay on the path of entrepreneurship, Dacres is seeking to encourage others within his community to do the same. He often shares cautionary stories of his youthful days with others when they visit his bar. Accepting that young people in his community now look up to him as a role model, Dacres shared that he often takes phone calls from people seeking advice on personal matters.

Having put away the folly of his youth, Dacres now works tirelessly to better himself and his business. Beyond that, he is very proud of his new role as a sounding board and a positive source for good in his community. “I’m in a good place. I’m just looking forward to a return to normal when we can safely operate for the benefit of business owners like myself and our customers.”