Restaurateur Marico Thomas, well known for fast food, has launched his most upscale restaurant on the edge of Hamilton Harbour.

The owner of Food Hub has just opened Eight & Vine at 8 Front Street, next to the ferry terminal.

“We wanted to offer a combination of casual and upscale dining,” Mr Thomas said. Seating now includes an al fresco option on the wharf by the water.

“This is one of the few places in Hamilton where you can eat so close to the harbour. We are looking forward to serving people outside.”

In January 2022, he purchased Dangelini’s, the café previously located in the space, then did a significant renovation.

The flooring was changed and a brick finish added to the walls. The furniture was upgraded and a bar area introduced.

“This is a really old building,” Mr Thomas said. “We wanted to refresh it, but honour it.”

He left it as a café until he spotted an opportunity using the waterfront view.

He moved Dangelini’s across the street to what was previously Food Hub’s Glaze, then rebranded the waterfront space as a romantic, upscale eatery with an extensive wine list.

“It is meant to be a bit more of a sophisticated experience,” Mr Thomas said. “It is a great place for meetings, lunch conversations or romantic interludes.”

Initially, Mr Thomas wanted to do a Greek restaurant, but decided against it because of concerns about consistently sourcing the necessary ingredients.

“I widened the concept to be Mediterranean, without being specifically Greek, Italian or Spanish,” he said. “We wanted to provide some healthier eating options.”

Offerings now include an octopus appetiser, a variety of soups, salads, lamb shank and a crunchy crab salad.

“I normally do not like coffee, but I love our whisky coffee burger,” Mr Thomas said. “We rubbed coffee into the burger and combined it with a whisky mayo that is really nice. Then we added some caramelised onions which gives it a nice little kick.”

Diners at Eight & Vine can get tapas or other items off a shareable menu in the evening.

Mr Thomas, president of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, said: “At the Chamber we heard that Bermuda needed more things to do. This is my offering.

“How many places are there in Hamilton that are really outdoorsy, where you can relax with a good glass of wine, late at night?”

His initial purchase of Dangelini’s was the direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As the social-distancing requirements began to ease up there was a request from Government for businesses to get Bermudians back to work,” Mr Thomas said. “They talked about wanting to add 195 new jobs to the labour force.”

Eight & Vine employs 20 to 30 people to cover night and day shifts, but not all of them are Bermudian.

With a 2.5 per cent unemployment rate right now, Mr Thomas has struggled to recruit and hold Bermudian staff.

The biggest challenge in setting up Eight & Vine was simply the time it took to do so.

He said: “It took two years. It took quite a while to get all the permissions, and also to get the idea right.”

Now, he is focused on upgrading Food Hub on Angle Street in North Hamilton.

“We are adding a roof top terrace that will offer open air dining,” Mr Thomas said.

However, that was taking a little longer than expected.

“That project is back on track and we just need to go ahead and get it finished,” he said.