Sumfest Acoustic Cafe to establish franchise in Europe, other markets

During the 25th staging of Reggae Sumfest, managing director of FRANJAM, Gary Matalon, introduced the Sumfest Acoustic Cafe, the newest franchise concept from FRANJAM and the KLE Group.

“The past year has been spent creating a new Jamaican-themed restaurant concept that would not only embrace the latest trends in the restaurant industry but would also create an experience customers would not soon forget. Sumfest Acoustic Cafe is just that and we felt the 25th Anniversary of the greatest reggae show on earth was the perfect place to introduce it to the world,” he said.

Damion Crawford expressed confidence in the venture, noting that the proprietors have been successful in the past.

"The fact of the matter is Jamaican entertainment has always been the reason for people to have consciousness of the country," Crawford told The Star. 

“Thanks to our agreement with Downsound Entertainment, we have high quality footage of performances from the past 25 years of Reggae Sumfest. This footage will serve as the soundtrack for the restaurant enhancing the authentic Jamaican experience,” said Matalon.  

"Any method it is packaged, be it live music, recorded music, or in this case recorded shows, is a viable alternative for encouraging attraction to Brand Jamaica, particularly to reggae music," Crawford said.

And according to Matalon, "Development of the Sumfest Acoustic Cafe franchise system has already been taking place. Currently, the group is exploring options in and around Montego Bay and Kingston for the ideal spot for the first Corporate store location in Jamaica. We are optimistic this will progress quickly and the first unit opened in short order.”  

Following the steady expansion of the Usain Bolt's Tracks and Records franchise, Sumfest Acoustic Cafe, seeks to mimic that progression and come equipped with world-class documentation and training programs developed to guide and support its growth through franchising.

“The legal documentation required to franchise in the United States, will be ready by the first quarter of 2018, so the immediate focus is on the Caribbean and parts of Europe whose laws we are already in compliance with,” says Matalon.