A gap in the market has been filled with the opening of the first steakhouse in the Hamilton.

Previously the city was probably the only one in the Western Hemisphere with a sizeable business district not to have such an eatery.

But not any longer, after business partners Greg Wilson and Colin Lloyd took over the former Mediterraneo Ristorante premises to bring Greg?s Steakhouse into the heart of town.

For the past five years the duo have run the Island?s only steakhouse as a concession business at the Port Royal Golf Course but, with the golf course expected to temporarily close in the near future, they have been actively seeking a new base.

Being able to take over the corner spot on Church and Parliament Streets is a dream come true for the two men, presenting them with the opportunity to run a steakhouse in a purpose-built restaurant building ? unlike their set-up at Port Royal.

Greg?s Steakhouse in Southampton is due to close at the beginning of March as the new Hamilton business gears up to full-strength.

Soon after opening its doors, the response to having a steakhouse in the heart of the city has been extremely positive, with most lunch and dinner sessions packed out and word quickly spreading about the Friday ?happy hour? in the upstairs G-Spot bar.

It is intended to roll out continental breakfasts to tempt early morning city workers, and for Sunday bunches to cater for people?s changing habits and lifestyles in line with other western countries.

As the name implies, it was Mr. Wilson who started Greg?s Steakhouse in 2002 when he realised his ambition to run a restaurant of his own. He and friend Mr. Lloyd had discussed the business plan for a number of years and at one stage were looking to open an establishment at the Botanical Gardens.

Coming from a family with a long history in running restaurants (including his grandmother who ran Woody?s at Dockyard), Mr. Wilson says he has always had a passion for restaurants. His love of steakhouses came when he was 10 years-old and went to New York where he remembers visiting Tad?s Steakhouse and being in awe of the flames, the smoke and the ambience.

He went to hotel school and worked in a number of hotels on the Island, doing everything from busboy to waiter to assistant Maitre?d and then assistant restaurant manager at Pompano Beach Club.

Given the chance to run his own restaurant at Port Royal he jumped at the opportunity, even though in the early days he was filling in as chef, waiter ?and everything else?.

He?d already contacted his friend Mr. Lloyd, who by now had married and moved to the US, to ask him to return to Bermuda and help with the running of a restaurant as they had always planned. Within a year the duo were partners in Greg?s Steakhouse and the business went from strength to strength at its Southampton location.

?Having Colin was having the ultimate partner. It made it so much easier and we grew the business,? Mr. Wilson said. ?It went in leaps and bounds and we built a client base of predominately Bermudian customers.?

Aware the Port Royal deal would not last forever, and that the golf course would be closing for a lengthy period in the coming years, the pair actively searched for a new place to base their popular restaurant. Both agree the former Mediterraneo Ristorante premises is the best location they could have wished for.

?It is a beautiful set-up. It has a lot of character. It is contemporary with a classic look. It really suits our style,? said Mr. Lloyd.

Mr. Wilson agreed: ?It suits our style of cooking and serving. When we took the place over we turned it upside down. The infrastructure was here, we just had to cosmetically design it for our styles. And the kitchen has been reconfigured to do steaks rather than pasta.?

An interesting attraction for the new steakhouse is the upstairs G-Spot bar and seating area where customers can enjoy wine, champagne and other drinks, a desert or coffees and have views out onto the streets below. The G-Spot has started a happy hour on Fridays.

?It seats about 40. We are playing contemporary music and jazz there and even if someone has had their dinner somewhere else this is the place they can come for wine and desert or coffee,? Mr. Wilson said.

It is intended that the G-Spot will eventually have its own entrance from Church Street. At the moment customers can gain access through the main restaurant.

Also upstairs is a private dining room able to seat 14 people and ideally suited for corporate customers as it also boasts telephone and internet accessibility.

Chef Mr. Lloyd is excited by the new move and sees it as a logical step for the business.

?We have been moving towards this. It is our time. We are excited about bringing our product to Hamilton. We were the first steakhouse on the Island and now the first in Hamilton,? he said.

Mr. Wilson added: ?This was the only metropolitan city in the world without a steakhouse.?

The steakhouse uses only Certified Angus Beef.

?Only eight percent of all beef is Certified Angus Beef, so that is the best eight percent in the world. We will not use anything else and we get it shipped fresh from New York every week,? said Mr. Lloyd.

The steakhouse is matching its fine beefs with fine wines and now has 150 different wine choices.

Despite the pair?s success, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Lloyd state they would not have been able to achieve what they have without the understanding and support of their wives and families.

?They support us 100 percent and without them none of this would have happened,? said Mr. Wilson.