The Thompsons pose in front of their newly opened establishment. Photo: VINO

A section of the gathering that witnessed the opening. Photo:VINO

Dr Karl Dawson speaks during the opening of Mac's Live Well Bakery & Catering. Photo: VINO

Chef Henry Prince hard at work in the kitchen area of the newly opened bakery. Photo:VINO

Before and after: cookies done by Chef Henry Prince. Photo:VINO

Chef Mac and his wife Arlene enter the bakery for the first time after its opening. Photo:VINO

The event took place at the former Road Town Bakery before a small crowd of approximately 30 persons who witnessed as Proprietor Mr Macgarvey Thompson promised a resurrection to the Main Street of yesteryear.

In offering the mission and his vision for the Café, Mr Thompson related that he still had a passion to once again operate his own business and also saw the need to continue this operation on Main Street.

He offered that despite the fact that many suggested that nothing was happening on Main Street, he has set out to prove the naysayers wrong. “We are going to resurrect this place, this street and I believe that everything that’s going to be happening is going to be in Main Street… Main Street is going to be the place that everyone will hang out,” Thompson stated.

He took those gathered down memory lane and related that after first meeting his wife, Mrs Arlene Smith-Thompson, at the very location he expressed to her his dream of having the Road Town Bakery transformed into a more successful operation.

According to the proprietor, things started to happen for the couple when Bishop John I. Cline gave them the golden opportunity of operating the café at the New Life Baptist Energy Centre in Duffs Bottom. In fact, Thompson related, it was Bishop Cline’s idea, which emerged from a pre-dawn text message that gave the couple the suggestion for the name of the café.

Meanwhile, after the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) wrapped up operations at the location in December 2012, Landlord Reverend Selwyn Vanterpool agreed that the couple could have the space to serve as a central location for all their baking, cooking and catering services.

Project Manager, Chef Henry Prince was singled out for high praises through his contributions in getting the business off the ground, “he has been our backbone in trying to help us get things [together] in just one week… he has done a remarkable job and we can’t thank him enough,” Thompson said.

Though he related that there were still a few more things to be completed (including a change of the awning for the location), Thompson said he wanted to have an all hands on deck approach while offering specific focus on service which he felt was lacking in the Virgin Islands. “Our motto is simple, all hands on deck and in whatever we do [we strive] to exceed the expectations of everyone we serve,” he added.

President of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), Dr Karl Dawson, was also credited as being extremely supportive of the efforts in getting the plan together. Dr Dawson admired Thompson’s unbridled excitement in pursuing the couple’s dreams and commended them for their success in rolling out operations within the space of a few days.

He noted that the college previously had a very longstanding relationship with the Vanterpool family that owned the building which had at various times served as a classroom, library and office space for the HLSCC.

The nature and character of Macgarvey Thompson, Dr Dawson said, is to give thanks. He noted that Thompson was someone, like many others including himself, who benefitted from the assistance of the College in supporting his training and development in the culinary arts and never failed to give thanks along the way, which was something Dr Dawson greatly admired.

Dr Dawson also commended Mr Thompson for continuing a tradition in committing his place of business as a training ground for students of the College who were being taught in the culinary arts.

Mr Vanterpool congratulated the couple for their achievement and noted that it was a fitting date for the ceremony to have occurred on the same day as the celebrations for Hon. H. Lavity Stoutt’s birthday, a man he described as being fondly remembered for the biblical quotation, ‘where there is no vision, a people perish’.

“My family was deeply impressed by the vision which came through so strongly in your business plan,” Vanterpool stated while assuring the couple of the Vanterpool family’s continued support in their endeavours.

Congratulatory remarks also came from family mentor Mrs Marlene Evans-Trotman and Bishop John I. Cline before the ribbon was finally cut to officially open the facility.