Starting A Business In Your Senior Years

You know it all started in 2013.  We're 'retired", living in Jamaica on the South Coast, (I capitalize it because I think it is the place to be in Jamaica now). We live in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, a few minutes from the Sandals White House Hotel & Resort. In between them and us is

Blue Waters - a restaurant and lounge we have operated for the last 10 months.
                                                   

For me, the story started in early 2013 when I said,  "Congratulations, you have achieved the American Dream. Whether you get up and do anything tomorrow or not, our bills are paid. How do you feel?" This largely from not owing any money. We could almost live on our social security. But in order to do that, we would have to forego the house helper, the gardner, the dinner parties etc.  But with owing nothing on house car etc. you can live on social security.

"I feel thoroughly bored". he said. 'Hmmm' said I, 'well with your 79th birthday coming up, I would suggest that anything you want to do, do it now, or you'll never do it. Don't defer your dreams.'

By the next morning the man told me that he wanted to have a restaurant and lounge again. He's had 2 before. many years ago.  Now you know, even a fish wouldn't get caught if it kept its mouth shut. A restaurant and lounge was the last thing I wanted to do.   But I couldn't throw cold water on his dream. "Fine", said I "Do it, but you may have to find some partners because it's not my dream, it's yours.  So he did go out and got 3 partners, 2 foreigners, 1 Jamaican.

the original partners

The site is drop dead gorgeous! .

 I agreed to look about the food for Opening Day, June 29th (I must have been crazy).  Well the partner from Colorado came in with his wife (a really good looking couple) and they were terrrific as they got behind the bar with the bartender and served drinks like mad.  the other partners worked the room. I hired several waitresses for the nght, and sent down endless amounts of  first soup, then a little later Salmon pate with crackers, then hot wings.  By 4 pm we were ready to serve 139 dinners..

 We decided to open the folloing Thursday. From then on we would open the restaurant from 12 noon to  late night Thursday through Sunday.  but then, within a week, the beautiful couple headed back to Colorado, the other partner, also American lives here but went to Boston for 2 months; and the Jamaican partner headed back to his develoopment project on the other side of the island.  That leaves one 79 year young man to jump start and run a restaurant with 70 seat capacity, but space for even more.

So let me ask you. What woulod you do?

email: bluewaterswhitehouse@gmail.com