Famed for its laid back atmosphere and exuberant full moon parties, Calico Jack’s beach bar now rests in peace.
Floral tributes had been left at the vacant bar, Friday, and the wooden boards that so often shook with the energy of dancing revelers were scattered with wind-blown leaves.
Owner Handel Whittaker said he was heartbroken at the closure of the much-loved venue – a consequence of the unfolding economic crisis.
The charismatic owner of one of the most popular tourist spots on Seven Mile Beach said he was moved by the messages of love and support following his decision to close the business this week.
The lease on the property, right at the water’s edge on the public beach, was due to expire at the end of this year.
Initially, Whittaker had hoped to move the bar, a fixture on the site for 16 years, to a new location.
But, he said, the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of the islands’ borders to tourists, likely through the end of this year, had forced him to shut down.
“Calico Jack’s is a tourism product,” he said. “There are no cruise ships, there are no planes even. We have built up a strong local following but most of that is from within the tourism industry. It wouldn’t be financially feasible to continue.”
Calico Jack’s employs around 30 people, and Whittaker said it had been devastating to tell his staff, whom he considers family, that the business was closing.
“That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do,” he said.
“When we closed (temporarily, at the end of February), we all said, ‘See you in a couple of weeks’. Closing Calico’s was the furthest thing from my mind.”
At the bar on Friday, the colourful wooden tables that dot the beachfront were empty.
Someone had laid a wreath next to the statue of famous pirate Captain Morgan, with the message ‘RIP’.
“That broke my heart. Tears ran down my face when I saw that,” said Whittaker.
On social media, tourists and locals shared memories and stories of good times at the bar.
“I am on cloud nine to see how many people that we have touched and how meaningful Calico’s was to so many people,” he said.
“Calico Jack’s is responsible for many marriages and maybe even a few divorces. It will live forever in my heart.”
Once the curfews are lifted, Whittaker said he hopes to host a picnic at the site to say thank you to his staff.
“It was the staff that made the business so great,” he said.
“We are like a family.”
In the longer term, he is already planning a comeback – either for Calico’s or for a different venture.
“I am still a young man, so there will be a rebirth, there is no question about that,” he said. “I don’t want to put a timeline on it – 2021, maybe 2022, but I will be back.”
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