What comes to mind when you think of Sangre Grande?

Businessman Damian Chow hopes in the near future, good food, amazing service and friendly people will be the answer.

Known primarily for running Chow's Service Bay in Sangre Grande, Chow is now entering into the food business.

On March 9, an idea conceptualised five years ago finally came into fruition: Grande Food Hub.

Located at the corner of Co-operative Street and Alfonso Street, Grande Food Hub, which opens Thursday to Sunday from 4 pm to 10 pm, provides an assortment of culinary options to delight and satisfy any palate. There will also be cakes and pastries, art and craft items, handmade gourmet soaps and lotions.

The perimeter of the food hub is fenced with wooden planks to create a homely cabin vibe.

Twelve food huts are housed inside with concrete benches and tables down the middle.

Chow told Business Day, "There are three things we really want to accomplish here: we want to bring some optics to our town. I love Sangre Grande and I want to see our community grow in different aspects, especially in the business and economics – we want to be part of the conversation in Trinidad; we want to see our vendors have a platform to monetise their creativity; we want to bring our community together in a family-friendly environment.

"We hope that Grande Food Hub can be that place and be this true visitor destination point."

Chow, a member of the Eastern Business and Merchants Association (EBMA), said the aim is to make a difference in the community. He credited the EBMA for injecting commercial life in Sangre Grande through a number of events in the last three years, including the one-day Taste of Grande food event.

[caption id="attachment_1005943" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Businessman Damian Chow welcomes all to the Grande Food Hub, Alfonso Street, Sangre Grande. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]

He said Grande Food Hub will be a spot where all different flavours and styles of food will be available.

"There will be ten resident chefs on monthly lease. Two booths will remain open for guest vendors.

"They can come and share their gourmet-style or unique foods and expand their markets to Grande, or young chefs in Grande to come and try for the weekend and showcase their items or products.

"This is a little bit different from the model from all the other food venues...What makes this a bit different, first of all this is in Grande. We're basically saying, make a trip Grande, don't just go through Grande to go to Toco. We're bringing street food at its best but we're doing it unique.

"We're looking first to our local people, in the environs of Sangre Grande, but opening doors for people all over Trinidad to come. Get a lil taste of the outside but a flavour of what Grande is like.

"Can we become part of the foodie conversation in Trinidad? Is there anything good in Grande? We are saying yes."

Among the various food vendors are MT Belly Wings –