By NINA LAING

Freeport News Intern

The ongoing recession has taken a bite out of local restaurants' profits, with more and more residents 'dining in' their homes. To retaliate, these establishments are adjusting their business plans to reclaim their customers.

Becky's Restaurant and Lounge owner Rebecca Smith said her difficulty stems deeper than economic hardship.

The problem, she said, is that she had previously leased out the restaurant and has lost customers because of it.

"I don't think it would be this bad if people know I'm back but a lot of people don't know that I'm back yet," she said.

To correct this, Smith has hired a promoter to inform old patrons of her return and possibly attract new customers.

According to Smith, this is just one attempt to increase Becky's clientele.

Like many other local businesses, Becky's has resorted to discounting its services in hopes that prospective patrons will be more inclined to spend at the establishment.

Some days, Smith said, the situation is very difficult.

She said, "You work the staff, and sometimes pay-day comes, the light bill and everything you can't even pay them on the day you're supposed to. It's really hard. And then, most of the time I have to work harder than I ever worked before and you know I don't mind. The staff needs more work too, but sometimes I give them less work, which I don't want to, but I don't have any other choice."

She said that during this rough time she is grateful that her customer service has provided her with repeat customers.

"I walked in the dining-room (on Tuesday), and I was so surprised. Some of my old customers were there. And one thing I must say, everytime they come, they would come and see me. God has been good to me otherwise, I don't know, I think we would probably have been out of business."

One prominent local restaurant, which asked to remain anonymous, said it is also experiencing a rough patch. A representative from this establishment told The Freeport News that the restaurant, which was once held in high regard, has had a disappointing decline in customers and, as a result, has lowered its prices.

The representative further stated that this tactic presents a catch-22 because although the prices have been lowered, chefs maintain high salaries that must be paid.

According to the representative, the restaurant has been experiencing sluggish periods for the past five years and they do not believe this will change soon.

In order to generate more revenue, Fritz Thompson, manager of Simp-ly Native Outback Restaurant, said that the restaurant will be introducing new meal options, extending their operation hours and making dining at Simply Native, more convenient for their customers.

"What we're doing here at Simply Native we're going to introduce more meals for the people who have healthy lifestyles of eating... and we're going to stay focused on the seafood and basically, we look to open up earlier in the mornings and offer more economical breakfast. We're going to introduce something to Grand bahama known as the breakfast bowl."

The breakfast bowl, Thompson said, will be offered to people on-the-go. In order to serve these customers at a faster rate, Simply Native will enlist the help of a drive-thru.

"This was something that we had been preparing for a time like this as a back-up plan. We're now going to implement it and get it going," he said.

Thompson expressed gratitude for the continued support from the community and those visiting from abroad.

He looks forward to a prosperous future for Simply Native and said that Grand Bahama is now working its way out of this time of hardship.

Popular food stop Pepperpot, has taken a similiar approach though, not exactly for the same reasons.

Sharmaine Bethel, store manager, said that while Pepperpot has neither seen an increase or decrease in its clientele, the take-out restaurant is offering specials to aid those who may be struggling more than others.

"We try and offer small items like patties because, you know, everybody (isn't) working. So we try to work with the small pocket change instead of trying to get the big money in there. Just try to make it work. Everybody just has to put hand in hand, just like we're hurting. People out there are hurting. So we just try to make little meals that everybody can afford. We try to do specials, run lunch specials so that everyboy can get something to eat," she said.

When asked whether the restaurant has made any employee adjustments, Bethel revealed that staff members now work shorter hours to ensure that "everybody has a salary at the end of the day."

Reflecting on the current economic recession, Bethel said that they are all taking it in stride.

"We're looking for better. We hope that it's going to get better. It will get better. Life is full of seasons so we accept our rain and our sunshine."