Aniceto Charles Jr. was gratified to see the community rally after his family’s Tru Jamaica restaurant at 937 Taylor St. burned three years ago this December.
He saw his loyal customers follow the business to food trucks and temporary locations, then stream into the restaurant when it reopened Oct. 15.
“We started off like a bang,” he said. The first two weeks. Busy, busy, busy.”
But now he’s learning to tough out a slower season.
“It’s a restart,” he said. “I’m learning that the hard way.”
The Tru Jamaica food truck sold 63 plates on Dec. 6 the Waco Downtown Farmers Market. But back at the restaurant that around 1 p.m. that same Saturday, Charles looked out over a nearly empty dining room.
“We’re trying to get everybody to focus on knowing that we reopened. Obviously, people don’t know we reopened.”
To help draw customers back in, Charles suggested he may bring back daily lunch specials, while his mother and business partner Vivia Charles wants to offer traditional Jamaican soups.
With an aura of unwavering confidence, Charles declared, “You’ll be back to do another story, like, ‘Hey, Tru Jamaica is still alive five years later.’ ”
