The Tribune

Paradise Island Tourism Dev. Assoc. Objection

Letter to Wendy’s/Marcos Pizza Development

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The Paradise Island Tourism Development Association (PITDA) and its member hotels and partners – Atlantis Paradise Island, Bay View Suites Paradise Island, Comfort Suites Paradise Island, Paradise Island Beach Club, The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Paradise Landing, and Ocean Club Estates – strongly oppose the development and opening of Wendy’s and Marco’s Pizza on Paradise Island.

Paradise Island represents carefree days, relaxing white sand beaches, warm turquoise-blue water, natural attractions, one-of-a-kind amenities, world-class resorts and hotels, and celebrity-chef restaurants. Ours is an extremely successful formula that employs many thousands of Bahamians.

Paradise Island is not about fast-food restaurants and cheap menu offerings, and these two brands do not convey what our island truly is … Paradise! If the development of these two restaurants is allowed, then it will open the floodgates to other fast-food restaurants opening on Paradise Island, thus damaging the overall Paradise Island brand, future tourism growth and local food vendors.

In addition, when visitors arrive onto Paradise Island, one of the first things they’ll see are these fast-food locations with windows draped in advertisements for cheap hamburgers and pizza. Not exactly what someone who’s paid thousands of dollars for a vacation in paradise would want to see as they arrive onto the island. This is not to mention the likely impact on the already overwhelming, ongoing traffic issues and parking shortages, which will no doubt end up further backing up traffic at the exit bridge at peak hours.

Any development that damages the Paradise Island brand, ultimately harms the thousands of families that are supported by our members. Again, PITDA strongly opposes these, or any, fast-food restaurant chains opening on Paradise Island!

GLENN A HADDAD

Executive Vice President,

Paradise Island Tourism Development Association.

Nassau,

October 13, 2023.