Golden Krust Restaurant Chain To Rebuild Seven School Canteens Damaged By Hurricane Melissa

The United States-based, Caribbean-owned restaurant chain Golden Krust has pledged to rebuild the canteens of seven schools across Jamaica that were damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

The beneficiary institutions include Rusea’s High in Hanover, Crawford Primary in St. Elizabeth, Port Maria Infant in St. Mary, Munro College in St. Elizabeth, Westwood High in Trelawny, Providence Heights Infant in St. James, and Savanna-la-Mar Infant in Westmoreland.

This was disclosed by Golden Krust’s Vice President of Marketing, Steven Clarke, while delivering brief remarks during Wednesday’s (June 3) Post-Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House.

He explained that the initiative forms part of the company’s hurricane relief efforts, noting that the entity wanted to ensure its support reached students, whom he described as the future.

“As a food restaurant franchise, we found it wise to help the students rebuild their canteens or cafeterias or tuck shops, as you might call it. We need to do what we need to do so that they can have a better education and they can eat comfortably. There are rooms without roofs, and it’s just tough,” Mr. Clarke said.

He noted that the company’s first relief efforts were undertaken 33 days after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

“Golden Krust hit the ground with our Chief Executive Officer, Jackie Hawthorne, with a mission to help the farmers first. A lot of people don’t know this, but every Golden Krust party carries a piece of Jamaica. We buy all our Scotch bonnet peppers and our thyme from the soil of the island to protect the authenticity and, of course, to help the economy,” Mr. Clarke said.

In partnership with the American Friends of Jamaica and Carita Jamaica Limited, Golden Krust supported 10 farmers across five parishes by providing irrigation equipment, pesticides, fungicides, and other essential resources needed to resume operations.