Hon. Fraser, said he was not going to miss the opening of the business even if he wasn’t given an invitation

Few things pleases me more than to see a new business open in my District: It marks the sign of development and prosperity.  De La Santa is the product of a young daughter of the soil, and she made the whole District proud of her endeavor.

Sea Cows Bay welcomes first bakery
- De La Santa Bakery & Restaurant Plus now open for business -

SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI- There were many with the idea, however, it was daughter of the soil Lurina Leonard-Charles who finally gave Sea Cows Bay its long-awaited bakery- De La Santa Bakery and Restaurant Plus, which opened its door for business on Saturday September 14, 2013.
More than 80 persons from the Sea Cows Bay community turned up for the
opening ceremony as a show of support and appreciation for the establishment. Among them were Third District Representative, Hon Julian Fraser RA who the proprietor thanked for encouraging her to convert her dream of establishing a bakery into a reality and Director (Ag.) of Trade and Consumer Affairs Department, Mr Kevin ‘OJ’ Smith.

The name of the bakery is in honour of Leonard-Charles’ late father, Mr Wellington Charles who was a boat captain for many years. “He loved boats, he loved yachts, he loved the sea. He worked on Peter Island for many years before retiring and entering into the taxi business,” Ms Leonard-Charles recollected.

“I think everybody was actually looking forward to a bakery here in Sea Cows Bay,” Mrs Leonard –Charles said.

But it’s not just a bakery for hot breads, pastries and sandwiches as the establishment will also be selling a variety of dishes at affordable prices, including jerked chicken and barbecue ribs and pizza. It will also be serving
breakfast and specializing in wedding, birthday and party cakes. Happy Hour will be Fridays and Saturdays.

To further spice up her business and give customers something extra to look forward to, De Le Santa Bakery and Restaurant Plus will be having ‘Flavours on the Bay’ every 15th and 30th of each month. Flavours on the Bay will see a variety of Caribbean dishes being sold including fish and fungei from Tortola, ackee and salt fish from Jamaica and curry dishes from Guyana as well as dishes native to Grenada, St Lucia and other countries.

A highlight soon to come for the business will be roadside delivery where persons can order their breakfast or lunch and a delivery person will meet the customer at the roadside to deliver. This is particularly for persons on the run. For further convenience, there will be a wireless machine for persons paying with credit cards. This machine will simply be taken to the customer on the roadside to allow him or her to make payments if not in possession of cash.

Ms Leonard-Charles said customers will have lots to look forward to as the business seeks to further improve its service. She also welcomed suggestions.

The proud business owner thanks a host of persons for encouraging and supporting her in one way or another.

Hon. Fraser, who said he was not going to miss the opening of the business even if he wasn’t given an invitation, congratulated Mrs Leonard-Charles for finally giving Sea Cows Bay its own bakery. He also said that many persons over the years had come to him with the idea of a bakery in Sea Cows Bay and he always thought it was an excellent one.

Noting that he has devoted himself to seeing the development of the district, Hon. Fraser said the bakery is part of that development.

He also encouraged the proprietor to pay close attention to her business to
ensure its success.

And as a more tangible show of support, Hon. Fraser offered to assist with paying Razor Blades for performing at the launch. Mrs Leonard had earlier said she had chosen to hire Razor Blades since the group was made up mostly of young church members.

See previous article posted September 9, 2013

Spanking new bakery to open in Sea Cows Bay this weekend!

When De La Santa Bakery and Restaurant Plus opens its doors on Saturday September 14, 2013 it will have on offer a wide array of baked goods and local dishes at affordable prices for residents.

Nestled in the heart of Sea Cows Bay at the Diana Bruce building and located immediately opposite Struggling Man’s Place, the establishment will present an assortment of pastries, including tarts and pies in addition to birthday and wedding cakes and hot bread.

De La Santa bakery and Restaurant Plus will have a buffet style display of local dishes to choose from and will also feature a special pick-up roadside delivery service for those customers who are on the go and only have limited time to spare.

Opening hours will be between 6 A.M. – 10 P.M. each day.

According to Proprietor Lurina Leonard-Charles, there will also be a special happy hour session on Fridays and Saturdays that will feature jerk chicken, jerk pork and barbeque ribs. Customers can also enjoy hot pizzas on each night that the new establishment is open.

Ms Leonard-Charles explained that the name of the company was chosen in honour of her father who passed away three years ago. He was nicknamed ‘Santa’.

“As a young girl coming up I liked to bake,” the entrepreneur told Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview. She expressed that it wasn’t long before she figured out that this was a service that might be needed in the area where she grew up and recently moved back to.

She related that the idea to open a bakery had been toyed with for some time but the opportunity for a vacant location only recently presented itself in a moment of good fortune and she seized upon it immediately.

Customers can also expect to make use of De La Santa’s free wi-fi service
once they choose to dine in.

There is also ample parking space available within the compound.

Lucky customers in attendance at the opening ceremony this Saturday, September 14, 2013 will receive giveaways in the form of special novelty items. Local fungi band, the Razor Blades will also be on hand to entertain customers during the opening ceremony.
De La Santa Bakery and Restaurant Plus will not only have hot breads, pastries and sandwiches as the establishment will also be selling a variety of dishes at affordable prices, including jerked chicken and barbecue ribs and pizza. It will also be serving breakfast and specializing in wedding, birthday and party cakes. Happy Hour will be Fridays and Saturdays.
Lurina Leonard-Charles and husband Emanuel Charles cut the ribbon to officially open the long-awaited bakery in Sea Cows Bay- De Le Santa Bakery and Restaurant Plus, on Saturday September 14, 2013.
Left to Right: Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser RA, Mrs Lurina Leonard-Charles and Father Julian Clarke.
Hon Fraser (center foreground) with Wife Kharid (L) and some of the persons who turned up for the opening of De Le Santa Bakery and
Restaurant Plus.
A number of persons turned up for the opening of the bakery and restaurant in Sea Cows Bay.
Persons were allowed to sample the various pastries and dishes at the opening of De Le Santa Bakery and Restaurant Plus in Sea Cows Bay on Saturday September 14, 2013.
De Le Santa Bakery and Restaurant Plus will also be specializing in wedding, birthday and party cakes.