My wife and I are contemplating opening a restaurant in belize. I was born and raised in the south(eastern US) and as such prepare what would be considered soul food to people not from here. Things like biscuits and gravy for breakfast, chicken and dumplins for dinner, cornbread, all the fixin's. We were thinking serving family style. Everyone sits at tables together and eats until they are full (passing to the left, of course.)

My questions are...

1) Would such a place do well on a tropical island (do most people expect fruit and seafood?)

2) Cooking like this is sort of a specialty. Would I be allowed to do the cooking? I hear that belizeans are supposed to do most jobs like that.

Thanks for your time.

Eric

the gals at Hideaway used to have good southern cooking. the hotel closed a few years ago... i loved it

I think you would do well mostly with the local gringo population (as long as your food is good and reasonably priced). What really helps a restaurant survive here is having the owner as chef.

If you do fried shrimp and grits I'll be your loyal customer.

Probably because of the climate spicy foods tend to be popular here. Sadly we lost an excellent Thai restaurant some months ago, and although it looks as if the premises will re-open as a restaurant it seems it'll specialise in Greek food. I hope the new owners will rethink that as I don't see Greek food taking off, not as I know it. Another success story yet to be written is an Indian restaurant (Indian sub-continent - usually Bangladeshi).

Neither of these would go down a bundle with the native locals, but there are a lot of ex-pats here who would kill for a decent Thai or Indian curry!

As to greek food or any type of specility food taking off how can you a 1 person hope to speak for the entire island. Variety is the spice of life. As one of new owners of the Greek Resturant I would hope you would give us the benefit of trying our resturant before giving negative opinions. As to southern menu I say go for it. I for one like southern cooking.

He is English, what the hell do they know about good food. Last time I was at lunch, my English friend ordered a chip buddy - french fries between two slices of bread. His idea of gourmet. Their idea of proper baked beans is a can of Heinz beans warmed up.

PS: when you open I will bring them there for some Kokoretsi.

We do need a good Indian restaurant though!

Ok this thread is seriously making me hungry! I love Indian, Greek, Thai, you name it - bring it!!

OK, trish1970: how about this for my non-english friends.
Let's start with a Choriatika Salata and then some Dolmades and Mousaka with Psito or Souvlakia finished with some Baklava.

That should call for some throwing of the plates.