Caribbean cuisine has found a new home in Lexington’s NoLi district, as Fida’s Caribbean Cafe prepares to launch inside Al’s Bar in October.
The Caribbean fusion concept, owned by Haitian native Fida Noel and her son, David Laurenvil, will offer a variety of Caribbean favorites, with lunch, dinner and late-night weekend service. Its soft opening is planned for Tuesday, October 3.
Noel, who was born in Haiti and moved to the Bahamas in her late teens, spent her formative years working in kitchens for the Caribbean tourist trade. In Lexington, Noel applied that early cooking experience in the kitchen primarily for her family and her church, before her children convinced her it was time to parlay her talents into a business enterprise.
“She never thought she’d be able to do a business, per se,” Laurenvil said. “It’s never been for that goal.”
But with her family’s encouragement, Noel started selling her Caribbean specialties at pop-up events and catered functions, Laurenvil said. In May 2017, they launched a Kickstarter aimed at raising $20,000 to convert a former tire shop in the North Limestone district of downtown Lexington into a new home for the restaurant. That campaign was unsuccessful, but the effort and events associated with it increased exposure for the cafe idea, Laurenvil said.
Laurenvil said the new location inside Al’s Bar will serve as an incubator for the concept, as it introduces more Lexingtonians to its Caribbean flavor.
“It’s a niche that kind of fell out of favor after Atomic Cafe stopped serving, but it’s one that people are looking to get back into,” Laurenvil said.
The plan for Fida’s Cafe includes offering a lunch-buffet service, which is not currently available in the growing NoLi community, Laurenvil said. In addition, the restaurant will offer tropical cocktails and fair-trade Haitian coffee, to be provided through Alltech.
The cafe also plans to tie in its menu with the entertainment that Al’s Bar provides, with light dining options available for late-night weekends to accompany live performances and plans for an eventual Reggae Night at the venue, Laurenvil said.
“We want to get a lot of Lexingtonians to come out and have some great Caribbean food and enjoy some great entertainment at Al’s as well,” Laurenvil said.
While the restaurant will be focusing on building its operation at Al’s in the near future, Laurenvil said the effort to raise funds and attract investment toward its own eventual brick-and-mortar location will continue.
“The local community has been extremely receptive,” Laurenvil said. “You would think, like the old cliche, [that] businesses would be competitive, but other restaurants and businesses in the community have been helpful in guiding us through.”
Fida’s Cafe plans to open with the same menu that it has used for pop-up events in the community, with new items and cuisines to be rolled out gradually. The restaurant’s initial hours of operation will be from noon to 10 p.m. on weekdays, with additional late-night hours and lighter menu options available on weekends to coincide with entertainment at Al’s.
For more information, check out Fida’s Cafe on Facebook.