It is something special about Anguilla when an American couple, making a lot of money at home, fall in love with the island, sell their investments and come to live, invest and work here. So is the case with Jason Howe and his wife, Robin.

He was a Senior Executive Vice President of a software company who traveled around the world doing lucrative business and she was a physician with a skin care medical practice. She was a long time visitor to Anguilla. Two and a half years ago they were married at CuisinArt Resort and Spa and over that time decided to take up residence on the island.

At first, Jason thought of opening a small beach bar but later was led to LA Café, at Lockrum Estate, which had a market value of US$1.5 million. With his long involvement in night clubs, he instantly became interested and later visited many night clubs including restaurants around the world. He refined his ideas out of those visits and set about hiring a management team to start building his concept around his 20-year lease of LA Café with an investment of US$3.8 million.

Now he and his team are well on the way with their high-end facility called Rumza, which is not only part of a name used by the Arawaks for a sugar-cane liquor they made, but an expression for cheers and big celebration. It is therefore not surprising that the rallying theme for the entertainment facility is fire, food, festivity. The original LA Café has been extensively remodeled for its several services. There is also a large separate walled-in area constructed on the compound for musical and other functions such as the upcoming Tranquility Jazz Festival.

Rumza’s opening is phased as follows: the lounge and night club on Friday November 6; the top-notch VIP lounge later in the month and the full service restaurant in December. Jason’s vision is for a facility that will complement Anguilla’s up-market tourism industry with excellent food, drink and musical entertainment involving local bands and orchestras from outside the island.

It will be a high-end night spot for visitors, thus fulfilling one of the needs of the island; an attraction for Anguillians and persons from neighbouring islands. Proper dress code, a high standard of good behaviour and a high level of security will be enforced at Rumza as part of its special features.

The facility will be operated by some fifty management and staff personnel among them being a number of selected and skilled Anguillians. Over 600 local persons have already been interviewed. According to Jason, the business will be run in such a profitable manner so that it should pay for itself within the first five years.

“We want it to feel like a family organisation, but we are going to run it like a corporation to ensure first and foremost profitability,” he said. “I got one mission for my workers. They are my customers and they help Rumza’s customers.”

He indicated that workers would be paid well. “We will also give 10% of any profit that the restaurant makes. If we make a million dollars next year 100,000 will go back to the workers – not the management team,” he promised. In terms of the 15% service charge, he stated that 12% would be paid in cash to the workers and the balance of 3% would be placed in an emergency fund for employees to help them with medical and other related treatment. He also spoke about the possibility of offering stocks in the company to workers after four years of service.

“I won’t ever compromise any morals and values in what we are doing, making sure that people have a better quality of life for working with Rumza,” he emphasised. “This will never change as long as I am here. They will be treated as family and the final thing is that we want to give back to the community.”

In the meantime, Jason and his management team are proud of their investment and want the people of the island to take pride in Rumza as well.

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