Sophie Sonnnenfeld Photo
Marty Wright had company when he made his thrice-weekly stop Thursday at Island Spice Caribbean on Winthrop Avenue off Whaley: the mayor and an entourage showed up to officially celebrate the restaurant’s city-aided expansion
“One of our favorite places to go is the Caribbean, and to be able to have real Caribbean food right here in New Haven is a real treat for everyone,” Mayor Toni Harp said as she helped cut the ribbon congratulated owner Nadine Tracy.
Island Spice is one of 14 businesses in the Whalley Avenue area that have been improved in recent years. The restaurant received $10,000 to renovate through the Leasehold Improvement Program of New Haven’s Livable City Initiative (LCI). LCI Project Manager Jeffrey Moreno said the project cost a total of $22,000 and took about a year to complete. LCI allows business owners to receive up to half the costs of a renovation project up to $10,000.
Moreno has worked with other business in the city to create these improvements, “to stimulate economic growth in especially busy areas of New Haven.” He said the project usually offers the revamping to businesses at populous locations such as Dixwell, Grand, and Whalley Avenue.
Moreno said providing businesses with this opportunity “helps to make the community more vibrant.”
With the money, owner Nadine Tracey (pictured) was able to expand the restaurant into an empty lot next door, installing new floors, walls, paint, furniture, and a display case. Tracey also was able to fix up broken ceiling tiles and get a new industrial refrigerator and freezer.
Niara McMillan comes to the restaurant “every once in a while.” Although she tries to order something different every time, McMillan said, “my favorite thing to get is the soup and the ox tails.” Pictured: Island Spice’s Brown Stew Chicken.
Along with loving the food, Marty Wright said the customers and staff are also a huge draw, “They’re always so friendly.” He even said while he doesn’t often tip at restaurants, he always feels he has to tip at Island Spice: “I won’t come by if I know I don’t have enough money on me to tip!”
Tracey said she has lots of regular customers, some of whom come in every day. She estimated she has around 100 weekly customers . The most popular dish by far are the ox tails. Previously, Tracey said, Island Spice had limited seating that people used mostly waiting for their take out. With the renovation she “was able to get more tables and chairs for dining in that will hopefully attract more customers.” Tracey added that on nice summer days, she plans on putting tables and chairs outside for more seating.
Tracey has been running the business in the same location for eight years. “The days are stressful, and the hours are long, but I always think of how many people I’m able to serve in the community,” she said. Four of her employees live in the neighborhood. They’re pictured above in the kitchen with Tracey, Harp, and Beaver HIlls Alder Jill Marks.
“There is no question, small businesses like Island Spice are the backbone of New Haven’s economy,” Mayor Harp remarked. “Small businesses are most likely to engage local suppliers, they are most likely to employ local, talented workers, and they are the businesses most likely to keep their proceeds circulating locally.”