Who would have thought 40 years ago that a collection of ramshackle food stalls would one day become a modern-day hub of Bahamian culture?
The answer is no one, not even the pioneers who first set up conch and seafood wagons around the bridge to Arawak Cay in the late 1960s.
The idea back then was simply to sell traditional Bahamian fare to hungry folks travelling to and from the customs shed, still visible but now abandoned, at the eastern end of Arawak Cay near the entrance to Nassau Harbour.
Later, the vendors built shacks for protection against the weather. Later still, they put up more substantial buildings where their customers could eat and drink inside.
Today, there are 39 stalls located in the park-like setting off West Bay St just outside downtown Nassau. Known variously as the Down Home Fish Fry, Heritage Village, or more generally as Arawak Cay (a misnomer since it's not a cay) - the area has become a cultural centre.
The Fish Fry boasts its own police station, a story-telling porch, a rock oven - to showcase the traditional Bahamian method of baking bread - and an extensive Village Green where festivals and concerts are held.
The Arawak Cay Vendor's Association is the force behind many of these recent developments, including efforts to start a "Jamboree" - a celebration of Bahamian music, culture, artisans and, above all, food.
"It's going to be a weekly entertainment concept, in which we hope to showcase the local talent of our nation," says Earl Hall, president of the vendors association and a former hotelier with more than 30 years' experience in the tourism industry.
"The arts and crafts, the music, the dance, all of those kinds of things that we don't have here at this point will be incorporated with the Jamboree programme," says Hall. It will turn Arawak Cay into a festival site showcasing the heritage and culture of The Bahamas.
Future plans include special nights highlighting the different islands of The Bahamas, as well as family nights incorporating the many marching bands and churches in New Providence.
"Our objective here is to reintegrate our culture on a very large scale," says Hall, who believes the Fish Fry is "second to none" in the Caribbean or even the Western Hemisphere.
"I believe that the ingenuity and the innovativeness of our local fishermen, being led by myself, have catapulted vendoring as we know it in this region to another level," Hall explains.
In fact, today's Fish Fry is a bustling example of Bahamian entrepreneurship. The colourful eateries, some fancier and bigger than others, are individual success stories and a reflection of how Arawak Cay has matured over the years.
Vendors remember a time when fried snapper and home-made bread were the offerings. Today's specialities include steak and lobster and a seafood combination with three different kinds of fish, as well as the popular conch salad, scorch' conch and crack' conch.
Kirkwood "Goldie" Evans, owner of Goldie's, remembers when the little shack that he operated 10 years ago let in the rain and he was able to serve only a small fraction of the customers he does today.
Now they flock to his upgraded and expanded restaurant, in part for his delectable "sky juice," which is a potent mix of gin and coconut water. "It should have come from the heavens, so I called it sky juice," says Evans of the tasty cocktail.
But although the Fish Fry has grown, it has managed to keep the down-home, open-air atmosphere that makes it uniquely Bahamian and well worth a visit.
For example, visitors can watch as conch salad - a spicy concoction of diced raw conch, tomatoes, onions, green peppers and hot peppers marinated in the juice of the Bahamian sour orange - is prepared in front of them. All the slicing and dicing is a real art form, and viewed from a comfy bar stool, a cold Kalik in hand, it's an easy way to pass an hour or two.
"They've tried to tag us as being restaurants, but we're still stalls," says Hall. They're just more welcoming and more comfortable than 40 years ago, not just for tourists, but for the locals who make up 90 per cent of the clientele.
Improvements have included public washrooms, as well as Ministry of Health food handling and preparation courses for the vendors.
"We've already had more than three programmes here on Arawak Cay to teach the vendors food handling," says Hall, "and we continue to train our people as it relates to health standards and to building codes."
Vendor permits are now issued yearly, unlike the early years when they were valid forever, and applicants must show a photo ID and proof of Bahamian citizenship. Leases are issued for a period of 10 years, with the option to renew for another 10.
It's all part of Hall's effort to make Arawak Cay a great place
to visit and a viable locale for Bahamian entrepreneurs, whether they're food vendors, artisans or musicians.
"I have a place (at Arawak Cay), but my focus has been on the securing of Arawak Cay and the development of Arawak Cay. I've taken my focus off my own, so to speak, financial development, in my focus to secure what is here. We're to the point now where I believe there is some sense of security. We have a lease system that legalized the whole process and gives a person a lot more confidence in how long they're going to be here."
Of the 39 stalls, 25 operate daily. The rest open on weekends or for special events - at least for now, until the Fish Fry becomes the cultural mecca that Hall and his association counterparts envision.
"The overall objective is to have them all operating on a day-to-day basis," says Hall.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article/release was accurate at
press time; however, we suggest you confirm all details and prices
directly with vendors.
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