Two St. George’s Businesses To Hold Opening
[Updated with photos] Long Story Short and Frequency Café & Hub will celebrate their grand opening on Saturday [March 29] at The Arcades in St. George’s.
A spokesperson said, “This week Saturday, two well-known St. George’s businesses will be celebrating their grand opening in a new space. Long Story Short, a tour company and retail store owned by Kristin White, and Frequency Café and Hub, owned by Rolisa Camille, have both relocated to a building called The Arcades. The building, located on the western end of Water Street and accessible from Duke of York Street as well, also houses Lacquered Lounge, East End Variety, and St. George’s Dance Studio.”
Ms. White said, “Rolisa and I are so excited about our new locations and eager to welcome the community to The Arcades. On Saturday, guests can enjoy incredible food and drinks, browse for books and gifts, take a tour and see the remarkable potential of the space for future events.
“In the past, when the café and shop were operated by Michelle Wales as Conscious Vibes, she’d turned it into a community hub, with art shows, musical performances, and town meetings. It was a space that was very near and dear to me, so to be here is a dream come true.”
The spokesperson said, “Long Story Short’s story began in 1979 in the cellar of 18th-century Bermuda National Trust property, Tucker House. At that time, it was a small bookshop called The Book Cellar.
“In 2012, to save it from closing down, Kristin White purchased it, and over the last 12 years, she has rebranded the business, expanded into gifts and other products, added walking and bicycle tours, and, in 2019, moved out of the cellar and transformed a larger space, which became a hub for local creatives, a space for makers to sell their wares, and a vibrant venue to host events, including book launches, artist talks, and private shopping nights.
“The tours and shop were widely featured in local and international media, including on NBC’s Today Show and Oprah Daily.”
Ms. White said, “I loved my former location and all that I achieved there with the support of my husband, family, friends and, of course, the St. George’s community. And yet, it was time for a new chapter. The vibe and energy Rolisa had created at Frequency Café was outstanding, and she was looking to move as well. She and I chatted about finding a space for us both, so when the opportunity for The Arcades came about, we jumped at the chance.”
The spokesperson said, “Frequency Café and Hub started in February 2022, born from Rolisa’s vision of a café where impact mattered; you left feeling on a higher frequency than you came in, with hopes that would then ripple to the next person and so on. She envisioned a space not just serving coffee, pastries, and paninis, but also serving smiles, connection, and inspiration.
“Over the past two and a half years, Rolisa has built the Frequency brand in St. George’s, establishing a loyal customer base. The café has enjoyed success, with a wide range of customers, residents, tourists, and catering clients. Frequency would often serve as an event space for community events, providing catering services, and offering a communal space for small businesses to showcase their goodies for the annual Christmas Walkabout.”
Ms. Camille said, “I worked at Café Latte when I was 14-years-old, a café that was right here in The Arcades where my café is now. This space holds a great deal of meaning for me, and I am overwhelmed with happiness to have this beautiful new space.”
The spokesperson said, “The vibrant café, designed by St. George’s-based multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur, Tara Sapien, features several eating nooks, window seating, bright murals, and a full kitchen.
“Both Frequency and Long Story Short intend to leverage their spaces in The Arcades, which includes a large outdoor patio, and plan to increase their products and services, plus offer events.”
Ms. White said, “Over the years, my history tours have turned into lots of other cultural offerings, including lectures, food and cocktail experiences, and scavenger hunts. My team and I also curate larger events, like group trip itineraries, corporate dinners, and community festivals.
“Now, I’m repositioning the brand to focus more on these, with a full tour centre and expanded tour calendar. Our new fleet of electric bicycles will be arriving soon, just in time for the height of the summer visitor season! And, though we’ll be putting more focus on tours, my retail store will continue to be a mainstay.
“The space has been beautifully designed and merchandised by my friend Nicole Golden, owner of Urban Cottage. And we will continue offering a thoughtful selection of books, particularly those that feature Black and female authors, and eco-friendly, fair trade, and local goods. Soon, we’ll be adding a gourmet pantry, with wine & spirits for purchase as part of our partnership with Gosling’s. We will also have a new section of our own designed merchandise and souvenirs.”
The spokesperson said, “Ms Camille’s plans for Frequency Café & Hub include an expansion of food and beverage, growing the catering services, and she intends to obtain a liquor license to offer wine and beer.”
Ms. Camille said, “Now that the brand is established, the goal is to introduce my grander vision for Frequency, which includes community kindness and connection initiatives, including a ‘Café Conversations’ podcast geared to uplifting, connecting, and inspiring Bermuda as a whole.”
The spokesperson said, “Saturday’s grand opening was scheduled to coincide with the HERstory: Women’s History Month Festival, which is being hosted by Women’s Resource Centre and curated by Kristin and her team at Long Story Short.”
Ms White said, “One of the goals of this event is to highlight female entrepreneurs, so it made sense that we’d do the grand opening of our two woman-owned businesses on the same day! On Saturday, The event welcome and our grand opening will be at 12.00pm, with a speech by St. George’s Mayor Quinell Francis. Following that, The Arcades will be the spot for musical and literary performances, a pop-up bar from Gosling’s, and I’ll also have a few tours departing from there. Renee Ming, MP for our town’s constituency, will speak at the closing of the cultural activities at 4.00pm, and then more entertainment will continue.”
Ms Camille and Ms White said, “We are so excited to welcome new faces to our businesses, see familiar customers and friends, and just celebrate being in our new space. We are thankful to everyone who made this possible. Tara, Dueane, our carpenter Ross, Nicole, Astoria, Jon Eric Petty, Dougie, The Kromers, Dennie, Jah, Dragon’s Lair Crew, Milos, John Johnson, Lisa, Skye, Velina, Jasmin, Team Thomas, Jaime and the team at Meyer, Corporation of St. George’s, BEDC, our children Lotus, Lily, and Zarai, our incredible staff teams, and our supportive family, friends, customers, and community – we appreciate you and are so grateful.
“To The Arcades and Water Street West businesses – thank you for the warm welcome. We intend to be a great addition to the neighbourhood.”
Wishing you all the very best, Kris.
M x