In July, the Bob Marley’s One Love restaurant opened at Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport (SIA), creating 70 new jobs in a variety of hospitality sectors. The restaurant pays homage to the renowned heritage of Jamaica’s most famous musical talent and is operated by Montego Bay-based Express Catering Limited (ECL) and its parent business Margaritaville Caribbean Group.
The institution is perfectly positioned for visitors and outbound Jamaicans before their flight, with a prominent location at the center of the terminal, outside security and accessible only to those exiting SIA, which serves over four million passengers yearly.
Bob Marley’s interests for home-cooked cuisine, travel, and meeting people from all around the world are reflected in this innovative concept. The restaurant is centered on a real Jamaican pimento wood grill, and it serves a Jamaican and international menu blended with fresh Caribbean and Italian foods.
In discussing the origins of the initiative, which is a cooperation with the Marley family through About Marley Merchandising LLC, ECL’s CEO Ian Dear stated that Rita and Ziggy Marley approached ECL 16-17 years ago but the company was not ready to implement the idea.
However, about 3-4 years ago, when ECL felt they were in a better position to do justice to Bob Marley’s legacy, they re-engaged with the enthusiastic Marley family, leading to the decision to launch the Bob Marley’s One Love hospitality brand, which was influenced by Bob Marley’s significance as a global presence for Jamaica in music and culture.
“And that’s basically how the journey started, again,” Dear remembered, “and we signed the deal right in the middle of COVID.” We took a little longer to finalize all of the specifics because our focus is obviously on establishing the proper experience and credibility around the brand established in Jamaica, and the first location is at the Sangster International Airport, but we have great plans.
“For the airport, it is a huge brand to be launched there,” he concluded. “It’s the first of its kind in the world, and we’re very proud of it.” We spent a lot of time and effort trying to ensure that we provided the proper experience and did Bob Marley justice. That is the ultimate goal.”
The Bob Marley’s One Love restaurant has a comfortable and contemporary feel with a nostalgic throwback touch. Working with the Marley Group of Companies, The Design Solution in London chose materials, colors, and textures inspired by Bob Marley’s legacy, artistic inventiveness, and life, including his home at 56 Hope Road and Marley’s Tuff Gong recording studio in Kingston. His passion of Jamaica’s fresh natural vegetables, which he raised at his childhood home in Nine Mile, St Ann, is celebrated in the restaurant with the inclusion of a multi-layered fresh herb garden display.
