Island Grill eyes Drax Hall for next location

Island Grill has begun streamlining operations to propel its expansion in Jamaica and eventually overseas.

The restaurant is one of the most popular chains in the island, combining the convenience of fast-food service with the comfort of home-cooked Jamaican food.

The company has 16 restaurants in Jamaica and one at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. It’s also looking for 100 new employees for its expansion across the country.

A new location in Spanish Town, St Catherine is in development, and is expected to be open by year end.

Speaking on Taking Stock with Kalilah Reynolds, Founder and CEO of Island Grill, Thalia Lyn exclusively told KRM that plans are underway to open another location in the rapidly developing Drax Hall, St Ann.

“It’s coming soon,” said the CEO, who did not disclose much other information about the Drax Hall location.

Streamlining for international growth

According to Lyn, there are plans to expand even further into the Caribbean and international markets; however, the nature of the company’s current processes have slowed the growth.

She noted that Island Grill’s food preparation process makes it harder to ensure quality control standards will be maintained in foreign markets.

According to Lyn, a lot of their staples depend on employees’ execution. Pointing to one of the company’s most popular menu items, festival, she explained that they are still rolled by hand. Similarly, the company’s big ticket item, jerk chicken, is cooked on the grill to give the authentic grilled/jerked taste.

As part of the move to streamline the process and ensure the same quality across every location, Lyn said that they have begun partially cooking the chicken in an oven and finishing it on the grill.

Island Grill has ventured into the US market before. In the early 2000s, the company opened two restaurants in Florida, recording moderate success.

According to Lyn, the locations were heavily dependent on imported supplies from Jamaica. However, she said the company was not able to sustain the locations following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, which brought trade and travel to the US to a standstill.

Lyn noted, however, that reentering the US market and expanding further into the Caribbean and possibly the United Kingdom, is a priority for her son and daughter-in-law, who have been tapped to take over when she retires.

No immediate IPO plans

While the Island Grill founder and CEO is ecstatic that Jamaicans are interested in having a stake in the restaurant chain, she said an initial public offer (IPO) is not likely any time soon.

However, Lyn said that an IPO is something that the company is and has been considering for some time.

“It makes me feel good to know that Jamaicans want to be a part of Island Grill,” she said.

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Watch the full interview:

Sashell Williams2024-09-03T21:40:31-05:00