Tue | Feb 17, 2026

Restaurant Week encourages literacy

Published:Thursday | November 25, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Pause
Stephanie Scott (centre), of SSCo Event Management hosted Education Minister Andrew Holness and his family during the Gleaner-sponsored Restaurant Week. Here Holness assists his son, Matthew, to colour on the place mat specially created to promote the literacy campaign. They were dining at Raffaele's Gourmet Pizzeria. With him are his other son Adam, wife Juliet (second left). - Contributed photos
Minister Andrew Holness accompanied by his sons Adam (left) and Matthew (right), wife Juliet (second left), and Danielle Terrelongue,representing SSco, are assisted by Roger Thompson, owner of Raffaele's Gourmet Pizzeria.
1
2

The Ministry of Education is delighted with the organisers of this year's Gleaner-sponsored Restaurant Week in their bid to encourage literacy through parental involvement.

The move stems from an ongoing campaign that aims to have children develop a fondness for reading at an early age. Above all else, the central idea of this initiative was to broaden the scope of how and when children actually learn to read. The important aspect of family togetherness - sitting together to enjoy a meal - was used as a platform to promote valid interaction and intellectual stimulation.

Select restaurants featured specialised place mats that included critical thinking and creativity sparking-activities that allowed children to exercise their mental faculties.

Much research has been done on the development of reading habits in children. Children who dine with their parents at least once per day have the additional benefit of improving their social skills and intellectual capacity.

The restaurants that participated in the initiative included: Susie's Bakery, Ashli's Bistro, Morgan's Harbour Hotel, Prendy's on the Beach, Rib Kage Bar and Grill, Starapples, Raffaele's Gourmet Pizzeria, and Sonia's Home Cooking and Natural Juice in St Andrew. Select restaurants in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios included; Mykonos, Miss T's Kitchen, Spring Garden Café, Rum Jungle-Coral Cliff, Seashore Grill, Montego Bay Yacht Club and Twisted Kilt.