Restaurant operators Samantha and Krystal will test the appetite for sky dining in Jamaica following approvals from the National Environment and Planning Agency, NEPA, for an eatery that offers a ‘dinner in the sky’ experience.
Ksloir in the Sky Limited, a company formed in May 2022 to operate the restaurant business, has secured a plot of land in the resort town of Negril, Westmoreland, on which it will construct a two-storey restaurant serving gourmet meals.
It will also feature a one-hour sky dining service.
Up to press time the entrepreneurs behind the Jamaican operation could not be reached for comments on the venture, but filings on the NEPA’s website state that in addition to receiving the nod for the construction of the two-storey building earlier this month, Ksloir in the Sky also got approval for a crane-hoisted dining area with seating for 22 people.
The crane will be raised 45 metres above ground. For safety, guests are required to wear safety belts, while standing presenter and crew will be secured by safety harnesses.
The entrepreneurs behind the venture are referred to on the company’s website as Samantha Ksloir and Krystal Ksloir. However, the names of the partners listed on Companies Office of Jamaica records are Samantha Williams and Krystal Nicholson.
The local ‘Dinner in the Sky’ service offering is reported to be exclusive to Ksloir in the Sky Limited, preventing the experience from being duplicated in Jamaica, the company said on its website.
The idea for sky dining first emerged in 2006 in Belgium as conceptualised by young entrepreneurs David Ghysels and Stefan Kerkhofs. Today, the concept is replicated in about 66 countries on five continents. In Jamaica, and elsewhere, the service is marketed around the “spectacular view” that being hoisted in the air offers, a gourmet menu, unlimited drinks and a virtual reality theme park experience.
Forbes magazine ranks the sky restaurants among the top 10 most unusual and most high-end dining experiences in the world. Meanwhile in Jamaica, the concept adds a new twist to dining experiences that already feature dining on the river, which is growing in popularity.
Ksloir in the Sky’s all-inclusive restaurant will operate seven days a week, offering each guest a total three-hour experience. The price for a four-course VIP dinner in the sky meal starts at US$300 or $46,500 per person.