Updated
August 26, 2007
Gambia Tourist Support - Reg Charity No 362/2003
NEW GTS Bar & Restaurant
With Dardeema gone - room has been made for the new entrance to the Restaurant and the new GETSUK offices
Removing Dardeema Part 1
Restaurant
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The roof of GTS
just showing above the 'Dardeema Bar' that almost destroyed GTS in Gambia.
As the building
came down so GTS emerged and we could see what it would finally look like.
GTS transformed
withe new steps and balcony, the old GTS office replaced with the new
GETSUK offices in front of the restaurant, we were all delighted with
the new look.
The bar remained
the same, but the new steps opend up the balcony and front entrance to
the restaurant.
Comments to GTS
We have had a few problems in the years since GTS was conceived, Dardeema was probably the worst. We had experienced dishonesty from people we really trusted, but losing Dardeema felt like a major conspiracy to destroy GTS in Gambia.
The staff we had were brilliant, we explained the situation to them and told them we would rebuild a new GTS restaurant on the land we had leased seperately to rebuild the Dardeema kitchens and toilets as well as making a small garden at the rear.
I don't think the staff actually believed it, but construction began and we moved into the new round Bar and Restaurant hidden by Dardeema.
From a business point of view it was a disaster - our custom fell by 40%, and our costs rose by over 25% - where we were about to break even we found ourselves losing money again.
So seeing Dardeema crumble and the new GTS Bar emerge out of the dust really was something of a Pheonix rising.
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Sadly because of the financial losses caused by Dardeema from 2003, we had to close down again at the end of May 2006, but were able to keep the GETSUK office open throughout the rainy season.
Each year I hope the Restaurant business will recover enough to stay open in some format during the rainy season months and hopefully 2007 will be the year when GTS can say that it remains open all year.
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