BUSINESS BYTE: Guiyave Restaurant celebrates 32nd anniversary

Dominica’s Most Consistent Eating Establishment, Guiyave Restaurant\Patisserie and Catering service, celebrates a milestone of 32 years in the food and catering business.  Guiyave anniversary activities in July will include:

•  Launch of a Guiyave customer reward card, daily specials, giveaways and discounts.
• 10% discount  on purchases for Senior citizens which will remain in effect after the celebrations
• Employee awards ceremony
• Guiyave employee presentation to a charity and meals to the homeless.

” We wanted to say thank you and continue to give back to Guiyave customers and to the community.” Said Managing Director Ronald Astaphan,  son of Guiyave founder Hermina Astaphan.

Guiyave, which is creole for Guava, is a family operated business started in 1981 by Hermina Astaphan, then a mother of four, Secretary at then Roseau Credit Union and cook extraordinaire.   It was her dream to provide delicious local meals in a relaxing  atmosphere; so with a double helping of faith, courage and business vision, she retired from her job and entered into the world of professional catering, a mere two years after Hurricane David had ravaged Dominica and eating out was not a cultural custom in Dominica.

A small team assisted her with the restaurant layout, creation of the Guiyave ‘smiling guava’ logo with signature green and yellow colours and recipes.

The restaurant gained a reputation for authentic tasting local food and became the place to go in Roseau to enjoy mouth-watering meals and fresh tropical juices. There were five original employees, led by Head Chef Hermina.  Ronald joined Guiyave in 1989, on his return from the Hotel & Catering Institute in Cyprus.

Inside the picturesque early 20^th century building, the dining area is cosy and the balcony with fretwork and plants provides an eating nook for patrons who can view the street activity from above, without the same visibility from below.   The Patisserie was added in 1991 on the ground floor and the favourite Paté banane has become a staple pastry item on the menu.

The Guiyave tagline ‘where our food is our passion and our passion is your pleasure,’ has been the energy behind the high standard given to restaurant patrons. “Guiyave is about relaxing, while enjoying good food and good service.” Says Hermina.

For over a generation, Guiyave has been the most popular dining choice in Roseau for many Dominicans and visitors.  In 2004, based on Guiyave’s reputation for excellence, the OAS and the Culinary Institute of America selected the restaurant to implement a tourism project.  Guiyave created tool kits for establishments in six islands including Bahamas, Belize and St. Lucia, providing a guide to preparing local produce at an international standard.

Guiyave has weathered economic challenges and grown into a top class restaurant and catering entity with the capacity to cater to 500 persons at a single event. “We are thankful to the Guiyave team and especially to our customers who continue to eat here and spread the good news to others.” Said Ronald.  The Guiyave Orchid House in Mero, is also used to host a variety of events.