a month of renovations to freshen and expand its interior and make upgrades to the kitchen.

Customers are now greeted with cheery teal and grey walls and counter tops plus brand new furnishings.

"We wanted to brighten up things and give the place a newer image,'' owner/manager Mr Powell said.

Non-smokers no longer have to put up with mouthfuls of smoke with their meals as there is a separate non-smoking room where the old betting shop used to be.

A glass display case for salads and desserts has been added and is located by the entrance to entice customers as they walk in.

State of the art equipment has been installed in the kitchen, including a new soup tureen, rotating toaster and combination convection-steamer oven.

The new Groen-brand oven will produce moister foods and allow for the steaming of vegetables, Mr. Powell said.

And the menu, though largely unchanged, has a new look and format and a couple of additions such as waffles, side-orders of cottage cheese and stuffed-tomato salad.

A new refrigerated sandwich rail has been installed to keep the many sandwich fillings and breads -- white, wheat, sweet bun or wheat bun -- fresher.

The waitress area has been reorganised to allow for quicker preparation of take-outs and easier access to the kitchen -- completely staffed by Bermudians.

The Spot has been serving Bermuda residents and visitors good food for over five decades, he says.

The interior has changed many times since its doors first opened. And some of the original staff still cater to customers they met in the Spot when it first opened in the mid-1940s! Mr. Powell says his philosophy for success is: "If you do your best to make new customers happy with your food, your service and your prices, they become satisfied regular customers -- and that's the best kind of advertising there is.'' A SPOT OF SOUP? -- There's no chance of the Spot Restaurant's "soup of the day'' running out with the addition of this giant-sized tureen. Chef Alistair (Gay) Virgin's secret recipes include split-pea, lima bean and red bean.