PHILIPSBURG--Cameron Wathey, a second-generation restaurateur, has claimed his first accolade eight months after taking up the post of manager of his family’s Taloula Mango’s restaurant and Blue Bitch Bar on Boardwalk Boulevard.
TripAdvisor recognises hospitality businesses that consistently have received strong praise and ratings from travellers on the review site. The Certificate of Excellence is based on the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period.
The restaurant cum bar received its fifth consecutive TripAdvisor Award of Excellence certificate this month. The recognition was a welcome surprise for young St. Maartener Cameron, son of Norman and Su Wathey, and his staff.
With 879 reviews Taloula Mango’s/Blue Bitch Bar is among the most reviewed on the island and a popular place in Philipsburg.
Cameron, who moved back from Canada to assist with the family business after Hurricane Irma, said: “Keeping up the standard that people have come to know and love from our restaurant has been hard work over the past months and ... we only have half of a restaurant.”
Taloula Mango’s suffered significant damage to the upper portion of the neo-Creole style building in the category five-plus hurricane that hit the island on September 6, 2017.
“We are very proud to get the Award of Excellence once again, especially given the year we have had since the island was hit by Hurricane Irma. We do not push our guests to give us a good review, so all of our reviews are genuine,” said Cameron.
He credited the staff for the recognition. “They’re sincere, friendly, dedicated on providing an excellent Caribbean experience to our guests. Quite a number of the positive reviews mention the staff as family and the reason to go back to Taloula Mango’s.”
