From soulmates to business partners, Kenneth Hewitt and Gayle Talma took a leap of faith and opened Zemi East Coast Cafe (Zemi Cafe for short) in the heart of Bathsheba, Barbados. Passionate about family, giving back to their community and entrepreneurship, the couple is busy building their empire.
Perfectly located in the newly developed Hillcrest Community Centre with a scenic hilltop view, Zemi Cafe overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is located on the site of an ancient Amerindian Village, capturing the spirit of Bathsheba, which is in the parish of Saint Joseph.
Hewitt and Talma named the restaurant Zemi after an Amerindian deity or ancestral spirit. It also represents a sculptured object housing the spirit among the Caribbean’s Taino people. They wanted to ensure they honored Indigenous people who made significant contributions to the area.
“I always wanted to open a restaurant from the time I was ten. I went on and got engrossed in hotels and never thought I would open a restaurant. I always had a passion for food and beverage,” says Talma.
What makes the restaurant even more special is Hewitt grows passion fruit and coconuts, and the fish is freshly caught off the shores of Bathsheba. “You’re going to eat quality food, good portions, tasty. We really try to concentrate on flavors and stuff like that, and we try to incorporate local things. We’ve had a garden for years,” he says. “I cut coconuts from my garden this weekend for coconut water.”
The menu consists of local fresh-caught seafood, Chef Steffi’s “Tent Bay” ceviche, fish cakes, Bajan macaroni pie, rum-based pork belly, chargrilled octopus, coconut-crusted barracuda with a curry lobster bisque and chili oil, crispy fried chicken, vegetarian dishes and more. They also serve a variety of cocktails.
“We have a real core menu, but we really try to freshen it up as much as possible with specials and new drinks. There’s always something new and exciting,” says Hewitt, who is an avid surfer.
He adds, “We travel a lot, and we try to incorporate that into what we do. We try to get as much local content, very different in flavors than what you find in commercial products. My dad has a lot of mango trees. He used to make mango juice, margaritas and chutneys.”
Dreams Do Come True
“We currently live in Bathsheba, a small picturesque village in Barbados. We saw where they were rebuilding the community center, and I knew Gayle always had an interest in it and it was an opportunity. Gayle always wanted to open a restaurant. It was a good idea and it was a good fit,” the co-owner shares. After completing market research to determine shortcomings and opportunities in the area, the two decided it would be a great idea to open a restaurant and began planning, eventually opened Zemi Cafe earlier this year.
By Angela P. Moore
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Cuisine Noir Magazine is the country’s first Black food publication, launched in 2009 and dedicated to connecting the African diaspora through food, drink and travel. To read the rest of this article and more, visit www.cuisinenoirmag.com.
