US-based Guyanese invests millions in new local restaurant

…Heliconia Restaurant & Lounge opens on Camp Street

The Heliconia Restaurant and Lounge was officially opened on Saturday, offering the Guyanese public an elegant fine-dining atmosphere in the midst of Central Georgetown.

The simple opening featured a ribbon cutting ceremony at the restaurant’s Lot 81-82 Camp and Robb Streets (Opposite Republic Bank), Georgetown, location. The new restaurant features both local and foreign cuisines as well as a blend of drinks at the well-stocked bar.
Saturday’s opening was an all-white brunch affair with drink specials on bottles and lots of giveaways and cash prices for the limited and specially invited guests, who were entertained by live music.
Owner of the new establishment, Winnick Paton promised that Heliconia Restaurant will be the “talk of the town”, adding that he is also aiming to expand this venture not only in Guyana but beyond the local shores.
“This is the first [restaurant] of its kind… but it won’t be the last. We’re a franchise that will branch off in Guyana, US, Jamaica and the world,” he stated.
Before opening the doors to the approximately $50 million establishment, Paton expressed his gratitude to family, friends and everyone else who supported and played a role in seeing this project to fruition, including his two business partners.
While the restaurant still needs some fine-tuning and would be fully ready in three months’ time, the owners reassured of quality service and an experience that is second to none.
Paton explained that at Heliconia Restaurant, they are all about customer service.
“Here, our customer service is our main focus. We want our customer service to be second to none in Guyana, second none in the world… We want you guys to share and spread the world… that the experience you had here is like nowhere else,” Paton expressed.
Paton later told reporters the restaurant has already employed about a dozen staff and this is expected to increase once the establishment is fully completed. He added that in order to provide the best customer service, the staff underwent a four-day training.
According to the new restaurateur, these training exercises are continuous so as to maintain a high-class service.
“What we do with our staff, before every working day have them come in a little early and we go through various training [exercises] just as a top up of what you basically know. And then at the end of the night, we also meet again to discuss the challenges we had and how to make it better the next day,” he explained.
Paton also disclosed that they will be moving to open the US branch of the Heliconia Restaurant and Lounge in New York City within the year.