Quietly nestled on Water Street between two bars, J&D’s Wagon
Wheel and The Sip & Sail Tavern, is Oneonta’s own slice of the island life.
Jamaican Creation Cuisine, which opened on Halloween 2015,
is a new addition to the stretch of restaurants that span Main Street of
downtown Oneonta.
Partners Damion McIntyre and Rorian McLean own the
restaurant. The duo went into business together after knowing each other for
over ten years.
McIntyre said that he chose McLean as his partner because of their close friendship and he wanted the business to feel more like a family. He also chose her for her many years of experience. Combined, McIntyre and McLean have over 20 years of experience
in the restaurant business.
McIntyre was born in Jamaica, but moved to Oneonta from the
Bronx in 2007. He said his vision for the restaurant is to bring “authentic
Jamaican food” to Upstate New York and bring people closer to his culture.
Being from the Bronx where “Jamaican food is pretty much
like a corner store on each block,” McIntyre said one of his objectives when
opening the restaurant was to save New York City transplants and Oneonta
natives the drive downstate to satisfy their island cravings.
Some of the dishes served at Jamaican Creation Cuisine
include jerk chicken, rice and peas, jerk pork, and their “delicious, to die
for” jerk burger.
“Everything on the menu is to die for. But for me,
personally, I would say the oxtail [is my favorite]. You can’t go to a Jamaican
restaurant and not eat an oxtail or a curry goat,” McIntyre said.
Along with their delicious food, McIntyre said he wants to
bring more diversity to Oneonta. He wants Jamaican Creation Cuisine to add
variety to a town that currently has an abundance of pizzerias.
He has also begun to implement a new event that is here to
stay. Every other Saturday, the owners of Jamaican Creation Cuisine hold a reggae party where students and residents of Oneonta can come, and for a charge, enjoy
samples of some of the dishes served at the restaurant.
Since Jamaican Creation Cuisine currently does not have a
beer and wine license, it is the perfect place for college students of all ages to go
and have a good time.
“We’re trying to show Oneonta, especially the police
department, that you don’t necessarily have to come out to the bars … to get
intoxicated just for you to have fun,” said McIntyre.
In the wake of three Oneonta bars being shut down for
selling alcohol to underage drinkers, this event comes as a great alternative
for students who are under 21 to still be able to go out and enjoy their weekends.
Other long-term goals for the restaurant include opening another
restaurant in Delhi, and eventually starting a franchise. McIntyre also said
that he would possibly like to pass the business down to his four young
children, especially his son who is already showing an interest in the
restaurant business.
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