Butler’s Food World opens in Freeport

Jeff Butler

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- Butler’s Food World opened its doors on Saturday, December 18th to the delight, excitement and anticipation of the residents and guests of Grand Bahama. The largest, upscale, high quality supermarket of its kind in The Bahamas, Butler’s Food World now offers Grand Bahamians, winter residents and year-round visitors, the selection, quality and availability of products that were only available in the US, Canada and Europe.

The new 20,000 sq ft. supermarket is located in the Home Center building, in the heart of Freeport. The store, fashioned after a combination of US and Canadian supermarkets, carries the tradition of Butler Specialty Foods featuring goods from over 20 countries with emphasis on top quality brand name products. Fresh produce, organic products, fresh meats, gourmet foods, health foods, housewares, dairy, cold and frozen foods, a deli, a “to go” counter, Café Butler’s - specializing in gourmet coffee drinks and pastries, a flower shop, a liquor store and cigar specialty counter, all combine to create a food world second to none, reinforcing the Butler's theme of “Creating a Higher Standard for Grand Bahama.”

Jeff Butler's decision to bring Brad Scott home from Canada was the main ingredient in the start up and operational success of the new specialty food store. Brad, after several years with Solomon Brothers in Nassau, operated a Sam's Club and later a Wal-Mart in Southern Ontario. It is apparent that Mr. Scott and Mr. Butler make a good team.

Both Butler and Scott confirm that what you see is only the beginning, with several thousand new products coming on line within the next 30 to 60 days.

The Butler reputation for quality, selection and availability will be maintained and expanded into general groceries with better pricing and a larger more diverse selection of goods. This is not a second outlet for Butler Specialty Foods. All retail products will be transferred from Butler Specialty Foods on Yellow Pine Road to the Home Center building Butler's Food World.

Butler's Specialty Foods on Yellow Pine, with its large warehouse, coolers and freezers, will become a holding and receiving facility for the new supermarket while transitioning to a wholesale only outlet catering to hotels, restaurants, convenience stores and service stations on Grand Bahama. On-island retail inventory, which previously stood at over six hundred thousand (600,000+), now has an additional 1.5 million in inventory of dry groceries, meats, poultry, dairy, frozen foods, produce, housewares, etc., making it the largest supermarket in the country.

The Butler Family has successfully been in the food & beverage industry in The Bahamas for 221 years beginning in the year 1790. This newest addition to the Butler Group is history in the making for Grand Bahama in its progression forward. The Grand Bahama community has long awaited the opening of the new Butler's Food World. Well Grand Bahama, here it is.

Butler's on target for August 2010 opening

Freeport, Grand Bahama- Local businessman Jeffery Butler Sr., confirmed yesterday that the closing of the Home Centre building "in no way" hinders the opening of his store which is scheduled for an August 2010 opening.

Back in April, Butler, the proprietor of Butler's Specialty Foods and Shenanigan's Irish Pub, announced that he will be occupying a portion of the Home Centre where the new, larger Butler's Specialty will be housed.

During a press briefing Butler said that with the signing of the lease, the final stages of the $3 million project had begun.

Having outgrown their present facility on Yellow Pine Street, Butler said that they already have a $1.5 million inventory and the time has come to expand and to diversify even further.

The new store, is approximately 20,000 square foot of space which includes a 1,400 square foot liquor store which will highlight specialty wines, spirits and beers from around the world.

The store on Yellow Pine Street will be made into a holding facility for inventory. Butler's caters to over 54 restaurants, including all of the major hotels.

And with the opening of the new store, Butler said that the business will be expanding, employing well over 100 Grand Bahamians in total.

The store's general manager, Bradley Scott said that when opened, the store will be a full service grocery store carrying all of the gourmet foods from over 20 countries.

Although saddened by the closing of another business in Grand Bahama and another group of Grand Bahamians being out of work, Butler said, this will not prohibit the August deadline opening of the new facility.

Alluding to the fact that the economy is down, Butler said, "If we want results we have to take a serious look at what we are doing here in Grand Bahama."

Emphasizing his point, Butler said that he received more than 300 applications for the 30 positions that will be available with the opening of the store.

"I will take a couple of people down there from the retail section, but those applications tell us what the economy is like in Grand Bahama," he added.

In a statement Monday afternoon, Freeport Concrete president Ray Simpson regrettably informed shareholders of both companies – the Home Centre and Freeport Concrete – that they will have to cease operation, effective immediately.

Simpson said that the directors of Freeport Concrete Company Limited have passed a resolution to convene an extraordinary general meeting of its shareholders to consider placing the company into voluntary liquidation and to appoint a liquidator.

He cited insufficient funds as the reason for the doors being closed and some 60 employees being dismissed.

VIDEO- Butler's Food World Prepares to open

Grand Bahama, Bahamas - Butler's Food World Prepares to open in Grand Bahama, Bahamas