Island Spice Grille & Lounge – 2020 Harford Award Recipient (Hospitality/Tourism Category)
October 21, 2020
In 2013, Island Spice Grille & Lounge was born of a genuine love for cooking and eating authentic Caribbean food. Through established relationships with other business owners and customer base, Island Spice owners’ Kassandra & Jazz Tucker have exceeded their dream more than they could have ever imagined – creating a dining experience that lands between fast food and fine dining. The feeling of Island Spice is a major component of their business strategy-when patrons come through the doors and feel the warmth of the colors, hear the island music, smell the authentic Caribbean spices, and taste the cuisine, they are transported to another time and space.
Island Spice’s success is evident through its growth in space, sales, and services. The addition of a full service bar, lounge, private dining banquet room, and outside patio seating increased the physical footprint while increasing sales year over year. Moreover, in the first 2 years Island Spice served approximately 500 customers per year, whereas in 2019 Island Spice served an excess of 5,000 customers. With such great success comes a need for great support! Island Spice opened its doors in 2014 with 5 staff members and, today, employs a total of 30 staff including 5 full-time, salaried employees. Employee retention is a vital part of the Island Spice culture. Flexible and alternative work schedules, faster and varied opportunities for promotion, expanding of employee benefits, tuition support, and by hosting regular staff events are some of the ways Island Spice is committed to its employees.
Island Spice is dedicated to serving its community. 2019 donations exceeded $25,000 to organizations such as: Boys & Girls Club (Bel Air, Aberdeen and Edgewood), churches of Edgewood, schools of Edgewood, Arrow Project of Maryland, Route 40 Business Association, Harford County Chamber of Commerce (Jingle Mingle), Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office. Island Spice also created an Employee Emergency Fund, which helps employees in dire situations.
As proprietors of Island Spice, Kassandra and Jazz provide an authentic island experience because they are of Caribbean descent and as such, represent their brand with a sense of pride and integrity. The vibe created by the food, music, laughter, singing and dancing reflects the essence of Caribbean culture which is, indeed, who they are.
Enjoy this video showcasing Island Spice, produced by Ko-Op Media!
About author:-
