Mother's to launch $30-m bakery in Devon House

By Steven Jackson Business Observer writer jacksons@jamaicaobserver.com

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Mother's Enterprises Ltd (MEL) has invested $30 million in the setting up of a bakery at Devon House in St Andrew.

The venture — Devon House Bakery — is part of the Carlysle Hudson-owned food chain's strategy to diversify into pastries.

Expect the venture to generate brisk sales within the busy Devon House complex in Kingston, management told the Business Observer. It opens this Friday and has already generated 30 jobs, including "a manager, pastry chefs, the bakery production team and retail staff" said marketing manager Jeanette Lewis.

It isn't being pitched as a fast food outlet, but as a boutique pastry shop operating in a separate baking division of the MEL group. Mothers always wanted to set up a bakery division and its plans were fast-tracked by the exit of The Brick Oven bakery from the Devon House grounds earlier this year.

"Our long term business plan had always included diversifying into a full bakery operation. When the space at Devon House became available, we applied, were successful and took the opportunity to fast track the programme to establish the Bakery Division," said Lewis.

"We do recognise the popularity of Devon House as a destination to visit for both locals and tourists, we are very optimistic about the popularity that The Devon House Bakery will achieved," she added.

Similarities between the bakery and a Mothers' outlet stop at ownership. The premises has undergone a "total remodeling" of the interior while retaining the historical architectural features.

"The Devon House Bakery is not a Mother's Restaurant. It is a completely different business model," Lewis said. "The Devon House Bakery is totally different from Mothers' quick service restaurants. In addition to the name, the menu selection is quite different."

The Devon House Bakery menu will include, among other things, specialty cakes such as Black Forest Cake, Rum Cake and Cheesecakes; classic favourites such as a variety of decorated cupcakes, banana bread, brownies, cookies, tarts, turnovers and cinnamon danish pastries. It will also have traditional Jamaican desserts, such as plantain tarts and potato pudding.

The MEL group has 11 organisational departments, including restaurant operations, finance, marketing, maintenance, production, warehouse, human resource development, quality assurance, information systems and the food service division. These departments operate under the umbrella as the 'Mother's Support Centre' - providing all the services required by the franchise. The group currently employs some 600 persons in locations islandwide.

The MEL group was founded by Hudson, a Jamaica Observer Business Leader nominee in 2003, in 1981.