WHITEFISH, MT / ACCESSWIRE / December 23, 2014 /
Lower Fuel Prices Expected To Help Tourism And Spending
Blue Water Global Group (OTC: BLUU) is taking the final steps toward the launch of what will be the world's newest location-branded restaurant, targeting a major food service gap in one of the world's hottest tourist markets, the Caribbean. Given the recent drop in fuel prices, the timing is important. Not only does the lower fuel price ease the pressure on cruise lines, it helps general consumer discretionary spending, which had been under pressure from low wage growth. This in turn has helped the restaurant industry, spurring recent jumps in monthly sales and share price. Location-themed restaurant chains, such as Darden's (NYSE: DRI) Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze and Brinker's (NYSE: EAT) Maggiano's Little Italy and Chili's Grill & Bar, have seen share prices jump more than 25% in the past 6 months. Location-themed restaurants in particular are seen as presenting a blend of atmosphere and food that appeals to consumers looking for a richer but affordable dining experience, whether near home or on vacation.
The restaurant, Blue Water Bar & Grill, is planned for key port locations in the Caribbean, one of the most active tourist areas in the world. When it comes to tropical tourist destinations, the Caribbean is at the top of the list, largely because of its sheer size. With hundreds of tourist-ready islands, and a well-established cruise and air industry serving all major ports, the Caribbean is a vast and growing magnet for American and global vacationers. For beach seeking tourists, it's a little like having Disneyworld stretched out over a thousand miles. St. Maarten in the Dutch West Indies alone attracts over 1 1/2 million visitors annually, just one of many flourishing island ports.
Blue Water Bar & Grill To Fill A Critical Food Service Niche
It's little wonder that the Caribbean has become one of the world's top travel destinations. With countless palm-lined beaches and turquoise ocean views, the Caribbean is seen by a growing number of people as the closest thing to paradise. There is one thing, however, that remains a surprising gap in the Caribbean travel experience. Millions of people arrive each year by sea and air to be immersed in the colorful tropical island atmosphere, and a big potential component of it all is food, much as it is with travelers to other parts of the world. The problem with the Caribbean restaurant base is the relative lack of a dependable, reasonably priced restaurant brand that truly captures the feeling and spirit for which the region is justifiably famous. Cruise ship food, no matter how many ways it is served, cannot take the place of sitting by the beach enjoying the catch-of-the-day with a glass of wine as the sun goes down.
Currently, the food service environment in the Caribbean tends to be limited to either gourmet style restaurants that are higher priced or tourist trap restaurants of unreliable quality. What is badly needed is a name that both new and returning visitors can know and depend upon, a location-based brand with food selections that are both reasonably priced and consistently good, offering a compelling Caribbean dining atmosphere. Blue Water Global Group is targeting this critical need with their Blue Water Bar & Grill, the first of which will soon be built in the popular port of St. Maarten, with plans for expansion at the rate of approximately one new location annually to Aruba, Barbados, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Nassau.
Final Stages of Government Approval and General Contractor Selection
Plans for the restaurant are currently in the final stages of government approval, and the general contractor will soon be selected. The first restaurant is expected to open in early or mid-2015. The Blue Water Bar & Grill concept is specifically designed to create the evocative blend of sights and sounds that people commonly associate with the Caribbean, an inviting tiki-type style, strategically located near major cruise ship ports. The layout will include a large covered patio, providing an open-air setting with a dramatic water view, plus a pool with a swim-up bar, and even traditional fire pits to ensure an attractive beachfront island atmosphere. Each restaurant will also have a boutique gift shop.
The supporting idea is to give visitors a dependable and memorable Caribbean experience, so that the restaurant becomes a must-stop wherever they go and a place they will always want to come back to on any return visits. The goal is to have the name Blue Water forever linked with the alluring feel of the Caribbean.
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Premium Rums To Enhance and Support Blue Water Brand
Simultaneous with building their Blue Water Bar & Grill presence, the company is developing a line of premium Caribbean rums to strengthen the Blue Water brand and tie to the Caribbean, and also to provide something customers can take back with them, effectively leveraging the company's marketing efforts through word-of-mouth. The premium rums will be served at the Blue Water Bar & Grill restaurants but will also be available for purchase at select retail distributors.
The premium rums are being actively developed through Blue Water wholly owned subsidiary, Blue Water Beverage Brands, Ltd. The rums are produced in the Dominican Republic, and are made of organically grown Caribbean sugar cane, harvested at the peak of freshness, and carefully crafted by a master rum maker. Blue Water Ultra Premium Rum(TM) and spiced Blue Water Caribbean Gold(TM) Premium Rum are furthest along and are currently being bottled. They will be offered through distribution channels to islands beyond St. Maarten, such as the exclusive St. Barts, French West Indies, and Anguilla, British West Indies. The premium rum market is growing quickly around the world, especially spiced and flavored rums. One of the reasons for this is the spirit's versatility, since it can be taken alone or in a wide range of mixed drinks.
Restaurant/Rum Combination Boosts Overall Plan
Realizing the value of in-the-door customers, Blue Water Global Group's development of a take-away product is good basic marketing. The rum, taken back home by customers, enhances the Blue Water brand and exposes the name to outside consumers. The idea is to focus first on the customers you've already won, to get them and their friends back in the door. With Blue Water, the restaurant supports the rum and the rum supports the restaurant, and they're both linked to the magic of the Caribbean.
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