Trottaz Grill and Spiritz brings tasty addition to New Kingston
Published:Monday | February 3, 2025 | 4:32 PMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
One evening, while friends Kareem Downer and Damion Lattery hung out at 1 Park Place in New Kingston, Downer shared that he could see himself running this culinary establishment. So when the opportunity for a tantalising takeover was brought to the table a year later, Lattery didn’t hesitate to reach out to his ‘compadre’ about the offer. Today, the business duo are proud owners of Trottaz Grill and Spiritz.
Located at 1 Park Place, on the same stretch of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Kingston, the eatery endeavours to make history as one of the city’s most unforgettable hidden taste treasures.
“The idea of Trottaz is to give food lovers a globetrotting experience. And we aren’t limiting it to the plate. We’re taking things a step further with the drink selections as well as entertainment,” Downer told Food.
Since commencing operations in October of last year, the restaurant provides a wide variety of mouthwatering dishes to entice the taste buds for breakfast, lunch and even dinner.
“For breakfast we have sandwiches, coffee, porridge and soup. Lunchtime is where we are seeing our heaviest crowd right now, with those in and around New Kingston dropping in to order their favourites,” he said.
Merging affordability with great taste and efficient services, the stars of the savoury show from noon onward include fried chicken, curried goat, fricassee chicken, jerk pork, barbi-fried chicken and even oxtail, just to name a few, prepared with love by Chef Janoy Watt.
Dinnertime has been a work in progress. So far, wings continue to be a staple. “We make a great stamp-and-go called Trottaz stampaz, with a signature in-house sauce. We also specialise in pastas; There is chicken and fries, there are fish options. And we are looking to introduce different types of platters as well,” he added.
“The previously owned Trotters Cafe catered to a more international taste with paninis, waffles and eggs. We switched it up, carrying it back closer to home with Trottaz. The cafe-style menu has been replaced with a restaurant inspired line up for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Downer said.
Exiting the shipping courier industry, Downer explained that although he doesn’t possess any culinary experience, he does understand the life of an entrepreneur. While this has been a steep learning curve, his business partner has hosted a series of fish fry events and other cookouts; he also does a porridge and soup business, making him the expert in the field of flavour. So, their aim is to continue pulling on each other’s strengths and grow in stride.
As far as further obstacles go, “The fact that Trotters Cafe was closed down for a while, customers have migrated to other sweet spots. So another challenge has been getting the word out that Trottaz is up and running.”
With a relaxing rustic semi-outdoor ambience, the restaurant is looking to venture into the night scene by hosting salsa nights, authentic reggae nights, weekly karaoke and big people jam sessions, as well as monthly events like soca parties and a Valentine’s Day soiree.
Investing out of pocket, the aim is to recoup in a maximum of two years and aspire for profitability in the following two years. “The plans beyond four years will be determined by the steepness of the profit curve.”
Downer and Lattery are aiming to make a real difference in the food industry by creating a gastronomic lineup so inviting and exciting, it’s sure to delight the palate.