New operator expanding Melrose Yam Park, revamping sales practices

The Melrose Village and Yam Park in Manchester will officially relaunch under new management during the Jamaica 60 celebrations in August.

The popular rest stop, famous for roasted yam, presently features 15 food and drink kiosks, 14 of which are occupied. Ten of the stalls sell roast yam with butter and salt fish to highway travellers, amid intense rivalry for the waning number of customers the facility attracts.

Its new operator, a marketing company headed by entrepreneur Kevin Frith called Ideas Generation, will be adding a jerk centre and bar, along with a six-bay car wash, to the amenities at the park.

“We’re looking to [provide] other reasons why persons would want to stop at the centre, and we feel that a car wash will be a good draw,” Frith said.

The Melrose Yam Park was ordered closed last August by the Manchester Health Department, but reopened in December following renovation work by the Manchester Municipal Corporation. Vendors there have been complaining, however, that business has been slow since the reopening, an issue Frith said he aims to address through the revamped operating model for the park and the marketing campaign planned for the facility.

“We’ll be doing a comprehensive upgrade,” he told the Financial Gleaner.

“Apart from the branding with Wray and Nephew white rum, they (vendors) will have awnings to shelter from the sun. They will also have their individual signs all backed by a social media campaign,” he said.

Ideas Execution is owned 75 per cent by Frith and 25 per cent by long-time partner Patricia Powell. The company plans to spend $19 million on the upgrades and rebranding of the park as a recreation and rest stop.

The upgrade includes new gazebos and additional picnic tables, which will increase from five to 20.

Persons travelling through southern and central Jamaica often stop at the yam park, which is at the foot of a plateau that sits midway the Williamsfield roundabout and the Manchester side of Porus. One end of Porus is located in the parish of Clarendon, and the other in Manchester.

Due to the slow pace of business, vendor with their offerings in hand rush to the vehicles that pull into the park, hoping to land a sale – an overwhelming experience that has served to drive away patrons.

Frith says he wants to end that practice.

“It’s a scary experience for the customers and if, God forbid, one of them should fall, then we could have more than spilt food to worry about,” he said.

The Ideas Generation CEO’s plan includes using influencers on social media to help promote the vendors. In addition, he says, there will be an on-site coordinator to help guide both regular and first-time patrons to the stalls.

Frith hopes to transform the selling practices at the park within three months. The Manchester Co-operative Credit Union will be offering financing for those who want to further upgrade their kiosks, in addition to money management training.

“Training is important. We have to first get the vendors to understand the importance of proper conduct, because the jostling is the only thing they know now, but they will do better with proper exposure,” he said.

Frith will be repurposing shipping containers both for the jerk centre and bar, which will occupy 3,000 square feet of space, and the car wash.

The contract covering the new operation is a 15-year lease/management arrangement.

Frith is banking on new business from the May Pen-Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000, which will run just north of the yam park, saying an off-ramp is now under construction that should feed the park with customers.

neville.graham@gleanerjm.com