TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Will Pre-Construction Operators Survive?

I am not familiar with that name. Anyone know which restaurant they had? Such a bad situation for them.

I have absolutely no personal knowledge of this business owner, but why are the details as provided no big surprise or shock? To me, if this approach prevails, it's pretty much as I expected and feared would happen. Government 'helping' the small business owner yet again....sounds like home! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

This letter is totally what i expected to happen. If people remember, I posted that these restaurant owners were going to get screwed. Now, here it is months later, and they still don't have a clue of where they are going to be....and now that the shacks that they owned are going to be charged rent...and only given one year permits??? Sounds pretty fishy to me...and NOT for the good of the tenants. These folks will be spending small fortunes to get their restaurants and shops together, when in a year, they can get kicked out for someone willing to pay the collective (sp) more rent...or bribes. I feel for these hard working folks, who spent years building up their businesses, just to have them torn down, and put out of work for many months. This was a rotten project from the start.

A google search returned this information but it's not a restaurant, it's a taxi company. There must be additional info somewhere. I'll keep searching.

http://www.societe.com/societe/monsieur-maurice-jermin-438740342.html

Update: also found this (translated from French)

http://dirigeants.bfmtv.com/Maurice-JERMIN-1107590/

Jermin Maurice was born on October 23 , 1955. Maurice is the owner of Orleans Creole Caribbean Cuisine , which was established in 2011. The company's turnover is not disclosed .

Maurice Jermin is also an agent of two other companies:

24/24 and Grande Riviere Apartment



What this person describes, and I have no reason to question if his story is true or not, is unacceptable. I really sympathize with all the business owners like him who not only lost their business but are now at the mercy of a totally incompetent and unrealistic administration. Who in his right mind would accept to invest there with so many unknowns?

I know at least some of the restaurants there were being subleased. Perhaps this gentleman leased his building to someone else. That doesn't really matter though, I was just curious.

Regardless, as you say, an awful situation for them.

Maurice owned Ethnic and had been subleasing the operation.

OK, thanks for the info.

Well he's screwed because he won't/can't work in a restaurant and they won't let him rent and sublease. Bad deal for him all around. I wonder if the guy that rented from him can go back and run it under the Ethnic name?

This information is just what I had heard relative to two other restaurants in the area.

From my previous post:

"From what I have heard these criteria (to get the AOT) are extensive and detailed and some current owners have just been notified of them.

Making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to file the required paperwork in the time required. "

I had heard that about two other we'll know restaurants, so with this reference to the Etnic that makes three in the area that was demolished that will have problems getting AOT's.

And even if they manage somehow against what appears to be heavy odds, it will only be a one year lease.

Just so, so sad.

Without truly knowing the ins and outs... is the situation pie in the sky by the government, corruption or something I'm completely missing as an outsider? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

if this story is correct sure sounds like corruption to me-big time