Do you remember the Bounty? Good times, right? Well Chill’N, the new owners occupying that space, has again risen to the challenge of maintaining that grand old Bounty ambience and traditionally great food – with their unique imprint of course.
Not exactly a new kid on the block, Chill’N has been around for at least 5 years but they closed their doors last January with a promise to better the quality of service being offered.
Sometime after Chill’N’s quiet but much appreciated re-opening on February 19, ANN popped in for a vegan snack and a few glasses of the refreshingly off-dry, light bodied red Moscato – an instant favorite. Already known for their exquisite wine list, Chill’N proudly features the pink and red Moscato brands “because the red Moscato you only get that here and whereas you may get pink Moscato sold at some other places, the particular brand that we have is different and also the Rosé in that same Modèl brand is different.” Additionally themed days are back and better. For instance, at a special price on Mimosa Mondays, “you can get your bottle of champagne with a choice of fruit juice and what we have done is add local juices to it, so it’s not just your classic orange juice, you can have golden apple mimosas, guava mimosas – depending on the available fruit. So you’ll get your bottle of champagne, glass of fruit juice and your bucket of ice as a package,” Chill’N marketing manager Candice Sealey told us.
Then there’s Tasty Tuesdays with their popular iced coffee or chocolate cake topped with ice cream and Weight Watch Wednesdays when the healthier options that are available at Chill’N are prominently promoted. “We have watermelon juice – when we started offering that persons were pleasantly surprised – no added sugar, just blended and served. We’ve got carrot juice as well on Wednesdays. A varied selection of salads and veggie stir fried meals are available everyday.” These can come as stand-alone snacks or with any choice of “toppings like corn or mushrooms.”
Happy Hour runs on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. Sealey said, with “our very popular burger, tacos, fries and wings platter and we have tacos on special. Every week there’s a different drink special that’s available, but normally we would have 2 drink items that are on special all Friday long.” She recalled, “in the past, we have had wine specials that gave customers the opportunity to enjoy certain wines they may not have had before or to once again try some of their favorites; the most recent being one the Chardonnay wine which has become a house favorite.” Sealey, who is a seasoned Marketing & PR consultant, promised to let Chill’N customers know when such delectable specials would be offered via social media accounts @chillnbounty on IG, chillnsvg.com and on Facebook @chillnsvg.
All told customer service has greatly improved. “Customer service is part of our culture at Chill’N – we try each time to better the previous experience so when customers give feedback whether positive or negative, we take those into consideration and work on them so we could better satisfy the public.” A further testament to this willingness to improve comes by way of Chill’N’s commitment to continued training. Sealey also pointed to the fact that “from the moment we hire you to what you see when you get here, we do training in all those things and updates and shadowing so that the staff can understand the critical role that they play in the success of the business, no matter if you work back of house or front of house.” A word must be spared for Niecey who ensured that her tables were efficiently served during our time there. She appeared at intervals, unsummoned, in anticipation of any potential service. Although her attention was divided she worked effortlessly, between her charges, to maintain the Chill’N vibe. Of course the fluidity of her service was greatly hinged on the efficiency and talents of the kitchen staff. The ordered tuna wrap was ready and served before the chill evaporated from that first glass of red Moscato. Interestingly, at least one pizza chef has been on staff since the restaurant, bar and lounge opened in December 2014.
While Chill’N does not offer the run-of-the-mill fried chicken/fish and fries or rice and peas on its daily menu, its edibles are affordable, of a wide variety and taste exquisite (from all accounts). Pizzas can be had per slice or entire pies, 4 for $5 patty specials from time to time, veggie spring rolls and veggie stir-fried meals with very little oil on chunky vegetables – christiphine, carrots, cabbage, sweet pepper, onions and string beans – are also available. Sealey advised that meat lovers can “add their choice of available to the veggie stir-fired meals.” On Saturdays a creole menu tends to be more prevalent and would feature goat water, salt fish & ground provision and the like. “We have bakes and codfish sandwiches available everyday.” And seasonally, local foods take center stage. “Next month is heroes month so we would have special local dishes additional for that time period. For Independence we would have the same and at Vincy Mas we would add something because we have a lot of visitors who come back around that time.” Desserts are available at anytime and according to Sealey, “our pancakes breakfast is served all day as well.”
Their mission, as expressed by Sealey, is to cater to the tastes of their varied clientele. While Chill’N’s flexibility allows them to customize the menu – which is now elegantly displayed, by the way – their core offerings additionally include burgers, sandwiches and wings. The daily variety of wings, sauces and dips includes honey barbecue, sweet chilli, white wine, sweet & sour and teriyaki as another attraction.
Opening hours are generally from 10-7 Mon – Thurs, 10 – 9 Fridays and on Saturdays from 9 – 8, however, if a customer wants breakfast before official opening hours – “you would be served.” And at closing time lingering customers are encouraged to indulge in their chilling as the Chill’N philosophy is not “to chase customers” rather to “welcome those customers with open arms… so even if it’s a few minutes before closing time and a customer comes in we won’t say ‘no we can’t serve you.’ Whether it’s a suggestion from their take out menu or a decision to keep their doors open that much longer, Chill’N is willing to serve.
Staff there are said to be “quite comfortable” as their suggestions are continually taken onboard to improve their work environment and ultimately customer experience.
The new flooring, menu layout, trouble-free access to their complementary wireless internet and “the fact that we now offer tacos everyday all day as opposed to before when you could have only gotten it on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 for Happy Hour” are just a few of the enhancements made during the recent upgrades. The atmosphere was very much improved with a few more seating spaces added though amazingly your intimacy is not compromised per table. The space is now much better lighted and the indoor temperature better controlled. “Customers like the fact that it’s much cooler because we upgraded the a/cs. We took into consideration feedback from the public. It tends to be hot outside and when you come in to dine or even if you’re just grabbing something to go, you want to be in a comfortable space. As soon as people walk in the door, it just feels different.” Hard to miss, though it must be said, “Chill’N has put things in place to get customers their meals much faster than before.”
But don’t just take our word for it. Run on up to the “1st floor of the Trotman’s building where Bounty was previously located” in Kingstown, or head over to @chillnbounty on Instagram and see what others are saying.
Whatever you do, be sure to responsibly try their new wine slushies; a seductive blend of your favorite wine with real fruit – either strawberry or pineapples.
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