The brainchild of Ueli Bangerter, F&B Down Town has made an indelible mark on the city of Kingston since its opening – and its popularity has been steadily growing beyond the reaches of the capital city. Swiss Stores started business in 1935 at King Street and moved into its current location at Harbour Street in 1958. The location offers an eclectic mix of not only old with new, local with foreign, but also an eating with shopping experience as the jewellery store so many know and appreciate has paired with a café/restaurant for an overall memorable experience. The store is at one end and the café/restaurant occupies the remaining spaces – one area segues into the other a most comfortable combination has emerged. The result is an air of excitement in the interior décor – the red of Swiss Stores meets the mod of black in a hint of European flavour, and art pieces and other items representing old and new world technologies are attractively showcased together throughout the store.
Chatting with Ueli Bangerter, Managing Director of F & B Down Town, he revealed his background in the food and beverage industry, having been trained as an hotelier and restaurateur in Switzerland. He came to Jamaica 16 years ago to join his uncle, Peter, in the jewellery business and fell in love with the country. He explained that the seeds for F & B Down Town were actually planted during the 2010 World Cup Football matches when he set up two tables with chairs and a television in the store, then started serving sandwiches and soup. One and half years later, two tables became four. He then saw an opportunity to re-conceptualize the business, and so in partnership with three other individuals followed through on this. “We had the space and I could twin my two areas of expertise to do something totally new and fresh here in Jamaica. We saw Digicel move its head office to Downtown from New Kingston in 2012, and saw the general efforts being made to revitalize the city, and took it as our cue to do something new also. We changed and moved from being a restaurant in a jewellery shop to a jewellery shop in a restaurant.”
Today the café/restaurant still offers the sandwiches and soups with which it started, but has added burgers, some beloved local dishes including curry goat, stew pork, and roti, as well as a variety of Italian pasta dishes among other treats – all within a reasonable price range. Housing a fully functional bar, patrons are able to enjoy meals at the bar with a beverage of choice. Additionally they are offered a choice of more formal seating arrangement or a relaxed couch arrangement. Food is served throughout the morning from 9:00 am and into the afternoon with lunch being the main meal offered. Lunchtime is their busiest period. Having sampled the fare the verdict is – the food is quite spicy and delicious, and the staff very friendly and hospitable. The newest addition to their services is an online portal featuring a club service for business clients, that enables members to order and pay for meals online.
F & B closes at the traditional time that businesses around them do so dinner is not served – at least not yet. The success of the business has proven that Bangeter has indeed picked a winning combination. “It took a while but today it’s working quite well and we can now seat 100.” There is also a take away service, and the restaurant will deliver to businesses within reasonable walking distance at no extra charge. “We attract mostly professionals, including executives, from the downtown business district, but of course welcome non-professionals too. So basically our clientele is drawn from entities that are within walking distance who have found that this is also a great place for informal business meetings.” With a smile he went on to point out that F & B’s pull has been spreading beyond Downtown with persons from uptown stopping by to shop and eat. “We have dedicated uptown clients who demand the same type of service that they get uptown, and we’re only too happy to give it.”
Similar to other predictions, Bangerter believes that F & B Down Town is situated in an ideal spot as the future for Downtown Kingston is bright despite the naysayers. In light of the positive developments the area has seen within the last five years, F & B feels assured of a good future. “Downtown is becoming young and dynamic,” Bangerter beamed. “It is becoming the new uptown and F & B is a part of this. Here it’s not just the food, it’s not just the jewellery, it’s not just the ambiance that makes us special. Someone once said to me: This is my little oasis downtown. I can get away and escape from the hustle and bustle. And you know what? This for me says it all.”
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The brainchild of Ueli Bangerter, F&B Down Town has made an indelible mark on the city of Kingston since its opening – and its popularity has been steadily growing beyond the reaches of the capital city. Swiss Stores started business in 1935 at King Street and moved into its current location at Harbour Street in 1958. The location offers an eclectic mix of not only old with new, local with foreign, but also an eating with shopping experience as the jewellery store so many know and appreciate has paired with a café/restaurant for an overall memorable experience. The store is at one end and the café/restaurant occupies the remaining spaces – one area segues into the other a most comfortable combination has emerged. The result is an air of excitement in the interior décor – the red of Swiss Stores meets the mod of black in a hint of European flavour, and art pieces and other items representing old and new world technologies are attractively showcased together throughout the store.
Chatting with Ueli Bangerter, Managing Director of F & B Down Town, he revealed his background in the food and beverage industry, having been trained as an hotelier and restaurateur in Switzerland. He came to Jamaica 16 years ago to join his uncle, Peter, in the jewellery business and fell in love with the country. He explained that the seeds for F & B Down Town were actually planted during the 2010 World Cup Football matches when he set up two tables with chairs and a television in the store, then started serving sandwiches and soup. One and half years later, two tables became four. He then saw an opportunity to re-conceptualize the business, and so in partnership with three other individuals followed through on this. “We had the space and I could twin my two areas of expertise to do something totally new and fresh here in Jamaica. We saw Digicel move its head office to Downtown from New Kingston in 2012, and saw the general efforts being made to revitalize the city, and took it as our cue to do something new also. We changed and moved from being a restaurant in a jewellery shop to a jewellery shop in a restaurant.”
Today the café/restaurant still offers the sandwiches and soups with which it started, but has added burgers, some beloved local dishes including curry goat, stew pork, and roti, as well as a variety of Italian pasta dishes among other treats – all within a reasonable price range. Housing a fully functional bar, patrons are able to enjoy meals at the bar with a beverage of choice. Additionally they are offered a choice of more formal seating arrangement or a relaxed couch arrangement. Food is served throughout the morning from 9:00 am and into the afternoon with lunch being the main meal offered. Lunchtime is their busiest period. Having sampled the fare the verdict is – the food is quite spicy and delicious, and the staff very friendly and hospitable. The newest addition to their services is an online portal featuring a club service for business clients, that enables members to order and pay for meals online.
F & B closes at the traditional time that businesses around them do so dinner is not served – at least not yet. The success of the business has proven that Bangeter has indeed picked a winning combination. “It took a while but today it’s working quite well and we can now seat 100.” There is also a take away service, and the restaurant will deliver to businesses within reasonable walking distance at no extra charge. “We attract mostly professionals, including executives, from the downtown business district, but of course welcome non-professionals too. So basically our clientele is drawn from entities that are within walking distance who have found that this is also a great place for informal business meetings.” With a smile he went on to point out that F & B’s pull has been spreading beyond Downtown with persons from uptown stopping by to shop and eat. “We have dedicated uptown clients who demand the same type of service that they get uptown, and we’re only too happy to give it.”
Similar to other predictions, Bangerter believes that F & B Down Town is situated in an ideal spot as the future for Downtown Kingston is bright despite the naysayers. In light of the positive developments the area has seen within the last five years, F & B feels assured of a good future. “Downtown is becoming young and dynamic,” Bangerter beamed. “It is becoming the new uptown and F & B is a part of this. Here it’s not just the food, it’s not just the jewellery, it’s not just the ambiance that makes us special. Someone once said to me: This is my little oasis downtown. I can get away and escape from the hustle and bustle. And you know what? This for me says it all.”
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