Keith and Ronkicia Johnston acquired their property at Maple Drive, in the suite that formerly housed Firehouse Subs, about a year before opening their restaurant, 876 Island Cuisine.
“We got it February of last year,” said Keith Johnston, noting the difficulty the couple went through with renovation, negotiating with contractors and finding employees. “We almost gave up because it was just too much. But we’d already put a lot of money in it, so I was like, ‘you know what, the only way left is up, so let’s just continue.’”
The Johnstons’ opened their diner on Jan. 12, the culmination of plans that had been brewing for much longer than a year. Keith has been in the restaurant business since he was a child in Jamaica, he says, where his parents currently operate their own eatery.
“It was always my dream to open a restaurant, so I’ve been looking for a place for the past five years, maybe,” he said. “Even though I didn’t have the money, I was always looking.”
The Johnstons looked for spaces as far as south Augusta. They decided to stay close to home in Columbia County, since they reside in Grovetown, and noted there aren’t any other spots in the county offering genuine West Indian food.
The menu boasts authentic Jamaican cooking; the name “876” refers to Jamaica’s area code. The biggest seller so far, the Johnstons say, are the oxtails, followed by the jerk chicken, with passion fruit juice proving a popular beverage to wash down the often-spicy fixings.
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Visitors can also try the beef patties, a renowned Jamaican pastry comprised of spiced ground beef baked into a soft, flaky shell, along with any of a selection of soft drinks, like Jamaican ginger beer.
The new shop has stayed busy, particularly during lunch and business hours, and the couple is already aiming to pursue expansion. In the near future, they aim to get a food truck to offer their cuisine at various events and establish presents throughout Richmond County and even across the river.
“We’re not trying to put anybody out of business,” Keith Johnston said. “We’re here to make money, so we want all the restaurants to make money.”
876 Island Cuisine is located at 101 Maple Drive, Ste. 1, in Martinez.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
