WHILE many people lost their jobs and several businesses closed their doors due to the pandemic, Dr Linda Chidester and Nevitha Robinson of Luna Sea Inn in Belmont, Westmoreland, stood their ground and brainstormed on how to keep their staff employed and their business afloat despite the impact on the business.

“I have to give my staff credit,” Dr Chidester, owner of Luna Sea Inn, told Career & Education. “They were excellent in terms of being very careful during this pandemic. We actually cut down the hours. Rather than having three people, we might have one or two. Another thing we did was to provide them with two meals. Before, they use to get one meal, but with longer hours they were working 12 hours per shift, so we started feeding them twice per day. I couldn’t see somebody serving food and being hungry. That would be the worst.”

In addition, a compassionate Dr Chidester dipped into her personal reserve and ensured that staff still received bonuses even when the business revenue had fallen by 90 per cent.

“In 2020 it was just a gift from me to the staff,” she explained, “In 2021, revenue increased, so we shared the profits of the business.”

Since December 2021, Luna Sea Inn’s revenue increased by 80 per cent. Dr Chidester pointed out that many winter travellers are slowly returning to the island.

“Now that they’ve gotten vaccinations, they’re feeling safe for travelling,” she added.

On the point of vaccination, Robinson added that 94 per cent of Luna Sea Inn staff are now vaccinated. Unvaccinated staff are tested twice per week and all staff still practise COVID-19 protocols.

“I am a physician by training, so it was important to me that they get the vaccinations,” Dr Chidester expressed. “I talked till I was blue in the face trying to convince those who were unwilling to take the vaccine, but we still have them around so there is no discrimination. I mean, I wish that everyone in Jamaica would get the vaccine, that is the only way we’re going to get out of this.”

The seaside hotel boasts nine guest rooms, a restaurant and a bar. It was opened in 2016 after heavy renovations were carried out on an old guest house that was purchased by Dr Chidester in 2014. Dr Chidester explained that as a philanthropist she thought creating jobs was a much better programme than just “giving things to people”.

“I’m a retired physician,”Dr Chidester said. “I had no clue what I was doing, thus the name Luna. I’m still not that sure. Fortunately, Nev is amazing. She has great ideas and she gives great hospitality. I hired her without meeting her.”

Robinson, who has never worked in the hospitality field before and has been employed as the general manager since January 2020, said the core value of her previous business was customer service so transitioning into the hospitality field was seamless. Her love for food inspired her passion for her new role as manager of a restaurant and hotel.

“I love food, I’m a real foodie,” Robinson continued, sharing her passion for her job. “This is why my initial focus was on the restaurant. When I started I was a little nervous, probably because I did not want to make any mistakes. My main focus is to ensure that the property remains a place where Doc [Dr Chidester] can enjoy herself and entertain her friends. She’s a natural hostess, she loves that, so I want to ensure that keeps going for her.”

She added: “My son said mom, you’re the only one in the family that has a hobby that actually makes money,” she stated. “That’s part of what I love about it. Like any night of the week, I can walk out to the bar and there’s gonna be somebody there from somewhere to strike up a conversation with. Different places, different countries you know, different attitudes and just chat, with no judgment.”

Robinson stated that her greatest challenge was being accepted by the staff, but over time she managed to jump over that hurdle.

“As females people expect us to be soft,” Robinson shared. “But we are nurturing, but tough.”

Thirty-year-old executive chef Leslion McLymont is the newest member of staff. He describes his experience so far as an easy transition from his previous job where he was a sous chef as a result of his new bosses who made him feel more like a partner.

“I like to learn and I’m learning a lot from these two,” he said.

The venue offers several theme nights which has been attracting massive support from the Westmoreland community. Every last Thursday of each month is Cuisine Thursdays where patrons get the opportunity to enjoy various meals from different countries. Every Friday is pizza Fridays, and on Saturdays and Sundays seafood boil specials are offered. Monday nights are one of the busiest nights as well, despite no specials being offered, patrons enjoy a wide range of cocktails and a la carte dishes.