It was Emily Post who said: “Ideal conversation must be an exchange of thought, and not – as many of those who worry most about their shortcomings believe – an eloquent exhibition of wit or oratory.”

My recent interview with Ueli Bangerter, who is the owner of F&B restaurant located at 107 Harbour Street downtown Kingston, was all about delving into his thoughts. My intrigue with his thoughts was spurred by what his thoughts have manifested – a superb restaurant with plenty of style, attention to detail and one of my favourite features – outstanding design elements.

This is one conversation that had me thinking, “Why is it that Jamaica does not have more business people who think like this?” This man is truly a visionary and a man with patriotic ideals for the island of Jamaica. He is absolutely in love with the place, and interestingly enough, he is not even from Jamaica. He is one of a number of visionaries who have come to our shores and seen a vision of Jamaica that many who were born here cannot see – that this place rightly deserves the title “Pearl of the Antilles”.

F&B restaurant is nestled in the Swiss Stores building downtown Kingston, and Swiss Stores Ltd has its own track record in the area of innovation. On June 24, 1958, Swiss Stores was the first store in Jamaica to offer air conditioning to its patrons, even when people were saying that it was not a good idea because closed doors would be perceived as being uninviting at the time. They pressed on with the idea, however, and it worked like a charm. Nowadays, having air conditioning in retail spaces seems almost routine.

In 2008 when the world economy took a downturn, and – as expected – Jamaica’s economy felt the pinch, Swiss Stores was not doing as well in the area of jewellery sales, and they seriously considered two options: fold or adapt. Thankfully, Ueli Bangerter and his partners chose to adapt, and what they adapted into is outstanding.

The first thing that struck me when I entered F&B was the rich red hue dominating the walls. It was in no way overpowering, as it actually set a mood of comfort and relaxation, and I observed that it was having this effect on the patrons who shared the space with me.

People from all walks of life and professional backgrounds were there, and many of them were engaged in what appeared to be meaningful conversation. The very atmosphere of the place encourages that kind of interface. It is as trendy as any five-star restaurant that you could find in SoHo, Manhattan, but it still feels – interestingly enough – like home.

This feeling of home might be as a result of many of the personal touches that can be found all over the restaurant. I was amazed when Mr Bangerter told me that he had made all the furniture for the restaurant himself, and might I say that the sleek finish and the contemporary design of the pieces really arrested my attention. He said he learned woodwork while in high school, and I was very impressed by that. It seems that skills training in the Swiss high school system is something to be envied (that is, if it is still the same), because these pieces appeared to have been made by a master craftsman.

As I sat there, savoury aromas wafted through the air, and I must say the food tastes as good as it smells. They have an interesting menu with an assortment of meals to choose from, and I can say from my own experience that a great deal of care goes into preparing these meals.

One feature that might seem unusual to some is the fact that jewellery items are on display for sale in the restaurant, but they seamlessly blend into the overall décor – they don’t stick out like a sore thumb at all. I think the jewellery displays and the other items in the décor work very well together. I also enjoyed seeing the photographs on display which were partially taken from Bangerter’s personal collection. He emphasised, however, that the outstanding design could not be attributed to him alone – all his partners had made meaningful contributions to the design process and the overall running of the establishment.

This man believes in Kingston’s potential for renewal in a meaningful way and he actually sees Kingston as a viable, urban tourism product. In our discussion he also outlined that the people who should be leading the way in the renewal of Kingston are the Jamaican creative thinkers such as visual artists, musicians, playwrights and thespians. He mentioned the Harlem renaissance and how it was the creative thinkers who brought life back to Harlem in New York.

I think it is now time for the citizens of Jamaica and political representatives of this potentially great city of Kingston to make a concerted effort to restore Kingston to its former glory. Let us not continue to approach matters concerning this city with social and political divisiveness, for in reality we are all connected and should see ourselves as stakeholders in our city. This fundamental truth has been lost sight of for way too long, and it is a primary catalyst to many of the social ills which prevail in the city of Kingston.

Politicians, to a great degree, have fostered the idea over the years that they can be the solution to the problems in Kingston and Jamaica. This idea is fallacious, as very little has been done over the years to make any great advancement in Kingston or Jamaica on a whole.

It is high time political representatives move away from this “I will effect change” to a more “Together we can affect change” approach. If Kingston is to become a model city of the Caribbean, it will take all of us, committed to that transformation, to make it work. Downtown Kingston can easily become a creative and cultural hub, as many of our major creative and cultural institutions can be found there, such as the National Gallery, the Institute of Jamaica, the Ward Theatre (which I understand should soon be undergoing repairs), and the Simon Bolivar Centre.

I had a wonderful time at the F&B restaurant. Do go and check it for yourself, dear reader. My experience at this outstanding restaurant was also made extra special by its wonderful staff. I would like to extend special thanks to Yvonne Samuels, Vandeen Thomas and Avril Kelly, who all made my visit even more memorable.

Wazari Johnson is CEO of Advocate Industries. He is a ceramist, illustrator and designer and is also a member of the Jamaica Design Association (JDA). jamaicadesign@gmail.com. He can be contacted at wazarijohnson@gmail.com