WITH three children under 11 years old, Pier One’s General Manager Jason Russell is determined to make time for his family, even as he ramps up his professional life. He’s in the final 11 months of his latest five-year plan, and he’s convinced that he has excellent staff in place who will help him achieve just the right work/life balance. This also frees him up to take a strategic view of the business.

Russell has set his sights on local and international expansion of the third-generation family enterprise that now has two locations on prime real estate in Montego Bay. With a solid team of about 120 employees across the original Pier One on the Waterfront and the newer Pier One on the Beach, he no longer has to be physically in office every day, micromanaging.

“Now the Russells are in a position where they can enjoy some of the fruit while passing on knowledge and responsibility to young people,” he says.

Over the years, he and his siblings have spent many hours working at Pier One.

“We grew up in this business where you don’t get holidays, you don’t get weekends, you don’t get early mornings, and you don’t get evenings,” Russell says in a matter-of-fact tone.

He’s very clear about what Pier One is, and where he wants to take it.

“It is a local establishment with international service — emphasis on local,” he stresses during a recent sit-down with the Jamaica Observer to take a look at what’s ahead for the open-air seafood restaurant, bar, and entertainment centre that has been in operation since 1986.

“Pier One believes in consistency. We tend to try to take deliberate, small steps, constantly,” Russell explains.

The idea is for those small steps to eventually lead Pier One beyond Jamaica’s borders, but nothing that is so far away that just getting there and back will take him away from his family for four days.

“I am spearheading location scouting in North America, the Caribbean, South America; we’re looking at markets,” he says, adding that he has found that Pier One’s reputation opens doors.

The brand is just as well known for delectable meals served against the backdrop of a stunning view of the sea, from the heart of Montego Bay, as it is for its First World execution of events. Pier One rang in 2024, for example, with the Moulin Rouge-themed Twist. The weather was foul leading up to the event but, as Russell put it, “God Himself took time to ensure that” the rain stayed away until a few minutes after the show ended.

The entity partnered with Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and expanded the State agency’s usual fireworks show, much to the delight of patrons watching from Pier One on the Waterfront and the UDC’s nearby Harmony Beach Park.

Russell is a big fan of the park; it was something he felt the city needed. He’s also enthusiastic about the under-construction Montego Bay Perimeter Road; he thinks it will give the city a chance to breathe by re-routing some of the traffic that now makes some potential patrons think twice before leaving home.

He’s eager to see long-awaited plans to transform the length of Montego Bay’s waterfront — from Pier One all the way along Jimmy Cliff Boulevard (the former Hip Strip) — into a pedestrianised “zone of pleasure and retail”.

Whatever happens around them, he says, Pier One will always remain true to its core values.

“Even though the place is a lot bigger, and shiny, and popular, and you’ll see a lot of new things happening, anyone that knows Pier One will still feel that warmth. It still has that natural appeal — it’s still looking over the water, you’re still seeing a lot of greenery, a lot of smiles on faces,” says Russell.

As Pier One continues its journey it has embraced the concept of bringing excellent and loyal employees along with it.

“We are still growing, and trying to get support staff is a big problem in the industry. We realise that we have to pay them more. We can’t pay them what we think they are worth; we need to pay them what they’re valued [in order] for them to be happy. It has resonated in a better staff complement in terms of their willingness to go above and beyond; turnover is at an all-time low for us,” Russell explains.

“We’ve started to raise pay based on metrics so [that] we’ll hit certain goals, and based on the percentages [of those goals we calculate how much] the staff deserve — and if you follow that metric you will be in front of their expectations. Staff in Jamaica almost expect to be treated poorly… If you stay in front of it you’ll find that you don’t create that need for people to be looking elsewhere,” he says.

His approach is paying off, with attentive staff who make guests feel at home, whether they are there for the Pier One Surf and Turf, a slice of Miss Russ’s carrot cake, or a margarita.

At Pier One there’s always a certain vibe, but Star Struck Wednesdays (fashion show and introduction to up-and-coming talent) and Friday night’s Pier Pressure Party (from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am) have become legendary.

Popular with locals and visitors alike, Pier One continues to be the place to be for everything from a drink to a leisurely meal. And the view is always spectacular.