Bacardi Store Opens Downtown

The store is located on the eastern end of Bay Street.

Juan Bacardi, owner of Bristol Group of Companies Limited, said the entire process to get a Bacardi store on Bay Street started a year ago.

"The building was initially presented to us a year ago and this unique opportunity came in and we felt that we needed to establish such a pristine property in order for us to justify the place especially here on Bay Street," he said.

"I immediately thought of Bacardi and their dedication to The Bahamas and what they have done in the last 50 years and knew that in the next 50 years they would continue to support The Bahamas."

Mr. Bacardi said the opening of the retail store is a wonderful opportunity for Bahamian people.

"Globally the world is so envious of The Bahamas, its land, its ocean its sea and its most remarkable people," he said. "It’s a dedication to Bristol as we are always trying to be an innovative company."

"We need to raise the standard and we have done so throughout the retail environment in The Bahamas."

Frank Comito, executive director of the Nassau Tourism and Development Board, said the store opening would play an instrumental role in the revitalization in the downtown area.

"I think it was in 2002 that I went to visit Juan and we talked about the new company and the plans and also share with them some of things that we’ve been doing with in terms of the city of Nassau," he said.

"At that time he said to me that he really wanted to do something different on Bay Street."

He said overtime the idea just continued to grow.

"He [Juan Bacardi] has seasoned and figured it all out and moved forward so here we are today from vision to reality," Mr. Comito said. "This is certainly a key incremental step in the transformation of our city and we’ve been going through key incremental steps for the good part of 10 years but it does take some monumental steps as well.

"It takes these kinds of steps and initiatives to create the momentum and the belief by the private sector, government and people that indeed the city can transform and we’re pleased particularly at this particular location which basically is a gateway to the eastern part of Bay Street."

Joaquin Bacardi, president and CEO of Bacardi operations in Puerto Rico, said the new store opening also brings the launch of two new products for Bacardi.

"Its very exciting for us today to introduce two new products that we’ve been working on and for the first time they’re going to be introduced in the Bahamas," he said.

"One of them will be introduced for the first time to the world in The Bahamas and that is the Bacardi Reserva Limitada."

He said the Limitada is a super premium rum offering that the company has prepared.

"The product is a blend of our rarest aged rums up to 16 years and it produces an extremely smooth and mixable product," Mr. Bacardi said. "The second product is our Bacardi Mojito which is not really new but is new for The Bahamas.

The store will managed by Bahamian-owned and operated Bristol.