The Coast Forced to Close

Details

Business News

Wednesday, 04 January 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - One of Antigua's popular entertainment spots, The Coast Nightclub, has closed its doors. Its management has blamed the economy as one of the culprits.

General Manager Doyle Carter said the downtown nightclub experienced severe difficulties over the past year, and management had to make the tough decision to close.

"We were first affected by the decision of the police commissioner to enforce the archaic laws regarding to opening of taverns (nightclub)," Carter said.

"We protested publicly to the actions of the police because we felt that the law was being enforced selectively. We say that because while we were forced to close, others were allowed to remain open. Thus, between December 2010 and March 2011, we saw a significant drop in our revenues."

He also complained that the newly-built ferry dock significantly affected business. He said portions of the area normally allocated for parking were cordoned off as part of the construction area, leaving little space for parking and other activities.

"For example, many people would drive by to investigate whether or not we had activities underway at the nightclub, but they were unable to do so because of the fences erected by the contractors," he said.

According to the general manager, the poor state of the economy had the greatest impact on the business. "People just do not have the money they used to have to spend on entertainment," he said. "We have tried a number of cost-cutting measures, including staff reduction and eliminating some of our operating expenses. Despite these measures, however, we were unable to cover our fixed costs."

At its peak, the Coast employed 30 people. There were also people who provided ancillary support such as cleaners, garbage collectors, and security.

Carter said it is tough to have to put people on the breadline, but the decision affects him as well, as he too is now unemployed.

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