For many of us, when we want a quick bite to eat, we turn to various fast-food chains. These chains provide us with great tasting food, at an affordable price point which makes each meal an enjoyable experience. This experience is one that Prestige Holding Ltd (PHL) has long been passionate about across the Caribbean, and so it has spent the last 40 years in the restaurant management business providing customers with on-of-a-kind eating experiences.
The origins of PHL extend back to 1972 when the company was first incorporated by business partners of Jaycees. The company began its operations with the acquisition of a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchise which opened its doors the following year in 1973. The restaurant, located in St. James in Trinidad, began PHL’s vision to be in the hearts and minds of its customers for every eating experience. It is with this vision that it has grown its KFC franchises, and now has 58 restaurants extending across the whole of Trinidad and Tobago. KFC represents the initial step for PHL commanding the restaurant management business over the last 50 years across the Caribbean.
The development of KFC under PHL spearheaded its drive to grow its business both organically, as well as through the acquisition of other strong international brands that would complement its current portfolio. Consequently, in 1994 PHL acquired a Pizza Hut restaurant which would diversify its portfolio across Trinidad and Tobago from fast food to a more formal restaurant setting. Whilst the opening of its first Pizza Hut restaurant marked a new step for PHL, it remained committed to providing a casual and family-oriented restaurant experience. Today, there are 12 Pizza Hut restaurants nationwide under PHL’s operations, which remains a place where friends and family come to share delicious slices of pizza. With the development of its Pizza Hut business, PHL set its focus on turning it into one of the most popular, informal restaurant experiences in Trinidad and Tobago, promising top-quality pizzas on every visit.
In 1999 PHL expanded its restaurant management to TGI Fridays, an authentic American-style diner where ‘every day is Friday’. The first of its TGI Friday restaurants was opened in Port of Spain and was quickly followed by a further three openings in Price Plaza, Gulf City and Trincity in the subsequent years. Much like Pizza Hut, the TGI Friday restaurants were designed to provide a relaxed and comfortable environment, where top-quality food underpinned every visit.
PHL’s role has continued to grow across Trinidad and Tobago and marked it as one of the leading restaurant management companies across the Caribbean market. However, in 2011 following the acquisition of Subway franchises, PHL was formed as the largest restaurant management company in Trinidad and Tobago, and the English-speaking Caribbean. Subway added to PHL’s fast food-style offerings and was vastly popular. This saw PHL expand and have ownership of multiple locations in east, south and central Trinidad. Over the years, PHL has expanded its subway food range, extending to offer paninis and pizza options, as well as now allowing for pickup deliveries via WhatsApp or its website. Today, PHL has 40 stores and 39 Subway units across the region, and it continues to provide the people of the Caribbean with healthy, delicious and fresh sandwich offerings.
The final vital acquisition for PHL came in 2016 when it opened a Starbucks in San Fernando. The opening of the store signified a milestone partnership between Starbucks and PHL, as PHL are the exclusive owners and operators of all Starbucks stores in Trinidad and Tobago. This partnership highlights the reputation that PHL has developed for itself as a leading restaurant management company that is focused on delivering the best eating and dining experiences for its customers.
One of the vital aspects of PHL’s partnership with Starbucks is that each of its locations has partnered with a local charity. This means that each location is actively providing significant benefits for those local to its operations, to support initiatives that give back to the local community. This drive to give back has long been a vital part of PHL’s operations, as it strives to bring positive change and experiences with each location, restaurant of food offering. We saw its commitment to the community in 2021 when PHL partnered with the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) to help distribute food baskets to families across the nation. Using its refrigerated trucks, PHL helped increase the capacity of NAMDEVCO’s food relief services. The partnership also highlighted the value PHL places on public-private relationships, which bring together vital initiatives and PHL’s operations to deliver positive development across the Caribbean.
Across PHL’s operations, its commitment to delivering excellent eating experiences underpins everything it does. From its gradual expansion across fast food, restaurant chains, and even coffee shops, PHL is driven to provide food experiences that are supported by its top-quality customer service and quality assurance. For this reason, it is not a surprise that PHL is now the leading restaurant management company across the English-speaking Caribbean, operating 128 restaurants served by roughly 3000 employees and about 250 support staff. We look forward to seeing how PHL will continue to expand its restaurant management, and in turn, deliver great eating establishments to the region.
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