Photos by Janet Silvera
LEFT: Margaritaville Caribbean's outgoing chief operations officer, André Dixon, accepts a specially carved memento from Jeanne Matthews during his send-off party at Blue Beat, in Montego Bay, last Wednesday night.
RIIGHT: General manager of Margaritaville Turks and Caicos, Anthony Hewie; Yolanda Buchanan, manager of Bobsled Café; and chief finance officer of Margaritaville Caribbean, Calvin Malcolm, lift their glasses to toast outgoing chief operations officer of Margaritaville Caribbean, André Dixon.
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Montego Bay businessman Brian Jardim remains shocked that six years have passed since André 'Top Dollar' Dixon joined his Island Entertainment brand.
And his partner, Ian Dear, has not stopped lauding the outgoing Margaritaville Caribbean chief operations officer for engraving the brand in the minds of people visiting the region.
'The boys' at Margaritaville, Calvin Malcolm, Devon Dobson and new kid on the block, Scott Robbins, will probably live with thoughts of the "mentor, great leader, friend, and teacher," for the rest of their lives, while the women who voluntarily and involuntarily fell head over heels with the former US Air Force culinary expert and Korean linguist will continue to dream.
Own business
After six years on the fairest isles that man's eyes have ever seen, the transplanted Jamaican takes 'leave' to start his own business in Orlando, Florida, deserting his bachelor pad in Montego Bay, which had become the place for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
"You know my love affair with Jamaica will never end. I will be here regularly, because this place will always be like home," he told The Sunday Gleaner, as he unwrapped several gifts presented to him by staff during a send-off party in his honour at Blue Beat Jazz Lounge, in Montego Bay, on Wednesday night.
Dixon passed on the martini glass baton to his successor, John Moorhead, former general manager of Starfish Trelawny at the function on Wednesday night.
The event was attended by a large group of staff representing the Island Entertainment brand, namely, Margaritaville Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Grand Turks and Caicos, Groovy Grouper and Bobsled, Gloucester Avenue.