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by pltm
Quick park, quick chat, quick snack, memories recorded and no time wasted; it’s the thrill of the experience at any mobile food establishment, throughout the Road Town area of Tortola.
As the day fades and night begins to conquer, owners and workers of various food vans around the town, ready themselves to service their most loyal clients, supporters and most of all, hungry persons on the go.
Food vans around the Territory have slickly made their way into the culture of the British Virgin Islands. Having been around for so many years, persons can’t imagine a time without their presence.
BVI Platinum News took to the streets of Road Town, exploring the lives of the people behind this industry, as well as the people they serve on a regular basis.
The BVI saw its first food truck come on the scene in 1982, when Juanito ‘Nito’ Rubaine first stepped up to the idea and took a risk. His food truck, Nito’s Food Truck, has been leading the game ever since. It is located in the Road Town Market Place, facing BVI Cable TV’s headquarters.
Other mobile food locations such as Panchie’s Food Van, located in Road Town Market Place, facing BVI Flow, and Marley’s Meals on Wheels, located at the juncture of Main Street and Lower Estate Road, came some years after.
Culture
Persons have expressed to BVI Platinum News that they cannot imagine a BVI without the presence of these businesses.
Food vans have become a part of regular routines for many persons, not only to get a quick meal, but the locations serve as a conversation hub to keep updated with current happenings, discuss troubling issues, have the best laughs, and tell the most memorable stories.
According to Nito, as time advances, the food trucks have replaced traditional liming spots on the corners or at the bars. “This is where people come to sit, grab a quick meal and just talk about anything.”
He added, “That is culture right there. It's a part of people’s lives, a part of their routine.”
Other owners of mobile food structures also shared the same sentiments, noting that many valuable BVI memories for many persons, whether residents or visitors, surround food vans.
Shaika Jeffers, who operates Panchie’s Food Van with her father, Renee ‘Panchie” Jeffers said, “People have a good time. They come, they chill and whenever, they leave. We are a part of VI culture."
She stressed that not only is the business popular locally, but added that persons abroad are attracted to the BVI, simply to visit the "green van".
“We are known across the United States and Europe. People come looking for the green van. When people travel, they tell persons they need to visit the BVI and look for the green van. Persons come and tell us they were very highly recommended to visit the green van.”
(PLTM) - Margrette Jones-Green, who operates Marley’s Meals On Wheels with her brother, Marlon ‘Marley’ Jones said, “It’s a part of the culture here."
She stated that their business is a part of a routine for many persons, who visit them religiously during the week and on weekends.
One of the beauties of culture is that it affects any and every one. This also applies to the services rendered by these establishments. There is no limit to the status of their clientele, as they have and continue to cater to society’s most wealthiest persons, those who are financially challenged and those in between.
Local radio personality, Edmund Maduro also chimed in on the matter, stating, “They [food trucks] are a part of BVI culture."
He said, "Before, persons had mobile stations to sell different food, and it just got more advanced into food vans. Persons and tourists are so grateful for them. There is nothing to eat at late hours of the night and morning. They provide a major service that is needed."
Maduro added, “It’s a place where you can sit down comfortably and have all sorts of conversations; this is a part of our culture. Human beings just like to congregate and these businesses promote that, and over a good quick meal too.”
Maduro recalled that the food vans were scrutinized in the past, and were being threatened by Town and Country Planning Department at the time, for them to relocate.
He stated that him and another gentleman were instrumental in arguing on behalf of the vans, to stop the department in their tracks.
“With my help, they are still here today. Some people are just dumb and don’t like to see their own moving forward.”
Clients and Social Contribution
These establishments also play a huge part in the social aspect of the community. Politicians and business owners, to managers, pastors, bankers and an array of professionals often frequent these vans to engage in discussions, gather community opinions, share their own, as well as for general laughs.
“Many people come sit down and congregate, and have all sorts of conversations, and that’s the type of business I wanted. I get politicians, current and past; every profession passed through here. We have so many conversations,” Nito said.
Weekends were identified to be the busiest nights of the week for the trucks, when most people would be out and about, or come to chill and engage in stimulating discussions.
Nigel Agard, who has been working at Nito’s station for about a year now, said it’s quite an exciting job, adding that he sees many characters, personalities and moods.
“I see people from all walks of life, all professions. I’ve seen dark times and bright times. I have witnessed so many things.”
BVI Platinum News also spoke with some of the customers at the different establishments, who all shared similar sentiments that the food is quick, fulling and that it is a need.
“It’s a quick dish to grab late night, when you’re busy or just hungry after a party or so. I don’t know what we would do if they weren’t around,” said Shyann George while at Panchie's.
“Of course it’s our culture. It’s a ritual for a lot of us,” Michelle Liburd said, adding, “It’s something we can’t do without and the kids love it as well...Never hungry, no matter the time, they are always there.”
Local Calypso singer and former police officer, Reynold ‘King Paido’ Phillips shared similar views, noting that the food vans have possibly saved many lives.
“People want food late night and these are the only options. Without these, so many people would starve. The drunk ones...these food vans have saved so many lives. They get something to eat and are able to sober up.”
Sanitation
As these are all food businesses that operate out of a vehicle, persons would often debate whether or not these businesses are clean and sanitized enough to be in operation.
BVI Platinum News reached out to the Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer with the Environmental Health Division in the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Yolanda Penn, who stated that these vans are compliant with all health requirements.
She noted that twice a year, her department carries out an inspection on the structures, where they assess food safety and protection, personal hygiene, cleaning and sanitizing, pest control and other pertinent indicators.
Ms. Penn shared that the vans that do not pass their food inspections are given a list of recommendations for improvement that they must adhere to. She added that if they fail to do so, further actions would be taken.
She stressed that as long as the food vans continue to abide by the requirements of the department, there are no threats to the community.
Competition
Competition exists within every sector, but things might be a little different in this field, as some owners have expressed that they do not see the other vendors as competition.
Margrette at Marley’s Meals on Wheels, in a very straight forward response, stated that the other vans in the Territory do not offer close to what her business provides.
She explained that while the others specialize in the traditional fast food, such as fries and chicken, etc., Marley’s Meals on Wheels supplies much healthier choices and options for the more health conscious persons. Some of the items on their menu are veggie and fish burgers, rice cakes, cheese balls and others.
In a very noble response, Shaika of Panchie’s Food Van said the presence of the other structures are no threat to her business, as they all have special little additions to their menus, in addition to their loyal customers.
“No we don’t see them as competition. Everybody has to make a living and we all have our own customers. We all have something special from each other that people like, so they make and we make, it doesn’t bother us.”
However, Nito sees things much differently, having been the first on the block.
Speaking with BVI Platinum News, Nito stressed on how many things in his business operations have changed over the years, because of the pop up of other businesses.
From a big business that was once recognized and featured in Times Weekly and awarded for the best chicken and best cold beer in the BVI, to now being downsized, he said the presence of other food trucks led to the down-scale of his business.
“It used to be me alone and now it got so many people around me doing the same thing, and that hurts business. It was a good investment, a great field to get into, because no one else was there. And after people see the amount to gain from it, everybody joined in.”
He said, “Things have changed so much,” noting that when his business first started, before competition came, “The van used to go through about six pots of soup, twenty cases of chicken, a lot of fries, burgers, hot dogs and so on. We used to play dominoes and all kinds of things, but all that changed, except people still coming round and conversations still there.”
He noted, “One time business was so good, police called me in for questions, to ask if I sell drugs. That’s how many people were always around here.”
With competition, the business was forced to scale down dramatically in the quantity sold and the number of items on the menu. Currently, Nito’s food truck only sells chicken, fries and soups.
“We used to have different dishes for every day of the week. All that cut down and some cut out. Now we just sell soups on Friday or Saturday, and chicken and fries every day.”
Despite the drop in business, he expressed gratitude, noting that his bills are still being payed.
Crime and Safety
As these business places are easy targets for robbers and thieves, the owners are conscious of their operation times.
To decrease the risk of being victims, they all expressed that they often monitor the customer traffic to the van as an indicator of when they should close.
Having been robbed several times before, Nito shared that he opens at 6:00 pm every evening and closes sometime after 2:00 am in the morning.
In the past, his opening hours were until 6:00 am in the morning, “but things are different now”.
Panchie’s opens from 7:30 pm until different times in the morning, depending on customer traffic.
Shaika expressed that due to the crime situation in the BVI, the business has fostered a great relationship with local police officers, who conduct routine patrol around the area, several times a night.
As for Marley’s, who starts business around 7:00 pm in the evening and closes at different times, Margrette said that crime does not affect their business and its operation houses.
Continuity
As both Panchie’s and Nito’s have been around for quite some time, both family owned businesses have already put a succession plan in place, and have already begun to execute such to ensure the continuity of the business.
Shaika is currently in training to take over Panchie’s, she told BVI Platinum News, adding that her father has been involved in the business for a very long time, and is slowly handing everything over to her.
“Since I was around 12 years old, a minor, I would go on night runs and assist, to being a part of the full operation and now heading it. Over the past two years, I have been in control, with my dad still involved.”
Shaika is looking to expand the business as well, as she disclosed her intentions to open stations in major areas around the Territory, such as East End, West End and Virgin Gorda.
Nito is getting ready to turn over his business as well, as his health is against him.
He told BVI Platinum News of his intentions to turn it over to his daughter and to expand the business once more, into a bigger van, and with additions to the menu, which would include hotdogs and burgers.
The Future
Speaking with Mr. Gregory Adams, Chief Planner of the Town and Country Planning Department, he told BVI Platinum News that the mobile structures are not regulated, for the mere fact that they are mobile. He added that it is difficult to regulate such structures, as the spaces they occupy are parking spaces.
“It falls under a green area because they are mobile. We regulate land use services. If somebody brings a mobile van and parks it in a parking lot, the underlying use is parking lot; it’s a mobile van. It’s difficult for us to to regulate it.”
Despite that fact, Adams noted that it is common courtesy for the owners of the structures, or the city manager, to visit and inform the department of their intentions to place a specific food van in a specific location.
“The department has no objection to the food vans. We never set out on any campaign to remove anyone from any area,” Adams said.
Meanwhile, in hopes of creating a regulated space for such structures, Adams personally proposed the construction of a food court, where all food vans can be housed.
“We should look to find a more appropriate location where we can create a more regulated food court with the food vans. It would be in a more regulated and organised fashion.”
He indicated that the idea of the food court is an idea discussed amongst him and others, adding that this is an idea he will support one hundred percent and an idea he would also push the government to implement.
He added, “If you look where these food vans are, they are generally in parking lots, and one of the biggest issues we have is lack of parking. And so the food trucks and other activities are contributing to the lack of parking spaces. Any programme pushed to correct the issue I would support.”
