Papayai's diner: New kid on the block
I saw the ad announcing a new restaurant opening and picked up the phone. As a self-professed "foodie", I needed to know all the delicious details.
Trying to meet up with the owner Lois Fletchman a week later, was an exercise in patience as the young entrepreneur darted in and out of the kitchen of Papayai's diner, which opened it's doors on the 5th of March. Working at a feverish pace, she hosted a big grand opening BBQ on the front lawn of the diner (former site of Burger Queen) on the All Saints Rd.
The energetic Fletchman says she has found joy working in the food service industry. She received her BSc. in Hotel Management in July 2007 and was most recently a Food and Beverage Administrative Assistant at one of the largest resorts in Antigua. She completed numerous internships and training programmes in the US and the Caribbean, working at notable hotel chains such as the Marriott and the Four Seasons.
Fletchman has always wanted to own and manage a restaurant and when the opportunity presented itself she went for it. Along with the help and support of her family and friends, Papayai's was opened. In case you're wondering, the name is a fanciful spelling of the papaya fruit.
In addition to the diner, Papayai's will be opening a buffet restaurant in the building adjacent to the diner in May 2010.
Papayai's has a bright future in Antigua and everyone is invited to go try out the delicious food on offer, ranging from chicken pot pie, curried goat, cheesy fries and blackened fish sandwiches. Hungry yet?
