Soon-to-be-opened Petrus Plaza to provide nearly 60 local jobs
By Esther Durand, BVI News Staff
Besides having another option to purchase vehicular fuel and other services, the soon-to-be-opened Petrus Plaza BVI is promising to hire close to 60 locals upon completion early next year.
Owner Allie Allison Petrus told BVI News on Tuesday that the first phase of the plaza will have a soft opening very early in December and the grand opening in January.
Phase two will be the establishment of a food court, which will also be located at the plaza in Fish Bay on Tortola.
“We expect to employ close to 30 BVIslanders in phase one and then in phase two when it’s all said and done, we should permanently employ permanently about 55 to 60 people,” Petrus said.
Gas station and drive-thru car wash services
In the first instance, Petrus Plaza will provide a gas station and drive-thru car wash service to the territory.
He explained: “It will be touch-less. There is no brush that touches the car. It leaves your car very clean, but the driver goes through the tunnel, and the touch-less apparatus has biodegradable chemicals that are sprayed on the car.”
“It uses the technology and it allows the car to be sparkling clean when it comes out at the end.”
Phase two of the operation will be a food court, providing what he described as ‘very interesting concepts.”
While he did not want to divulge further, he said the people of the Territory would be ‘pleased’ with the type of food that will be served there.
We wanted to give back
Petrus and his wife Beverly started their family business 18 years ago in St Thomas of the neighbouring US Virgin Islands.
Petrus, a BVI Belonger with roots in Brewer’s Bay said he also owns a string of other businesses in St Thomas including the Petrus Plaza in St Thomas, PG Gas, and the Subway franchise.
“We wanted expansion opportunities, and so it was a natural expansion of our business to the BVI,” he said.
“We are excited about the opportunity to be able to employ people and to be a part of the community. One of the things that we always pride ourselves in as a family business is being a part of the community and giving back to the community we operate in and that’s what we will continue to do,” he said.
Petrus said he decided on the Fish Bay location because he felt it was an ‘excellent’ and a “growing business community, and we want to be part of that major growth spurge in Fish Bay”.
Meanwhile, Director of Operations Jennel Reid said she is pleased to be part of the BVI chapter.
“It is very important to me because I also watch the family business grow from zero to where it is at this point. I know the dedication that goes into it,” Reid stated.
She said construction commenced in March and is still ongoing.
Still to be completed works include painting and paving the grounds. Construction of the establishment — which is built to withstand hurricanes — is said to cost more than $1 million.
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Welcome
Be careful with the Food Court cause if you’ll be serving Pea Soup and put carrots in it….they will string you up a gum tree
When in Rome do as the Romans. If the people don’t want carrot in the peas soup, then don’t put it in. When you go back to where you are from use all the carrots you want. Strupps!!!
But I hope they will be providing the grade gas that most new vehicles require. Persons have had to take their vehicles back to the dealers numerous times for a noise that they (the dealers) say is a gas not because the type of gas the vehicle needs not on the island. If they cannot get the right gas stop selling the vehicles that require that grade gas. Look forward to using the car wash.
@Nice.. have you ever heard of Octane boosters? it is sold at every gas station on the island and all you have to do is add it to your tank of fuel when you are topping up and it increases the Octane ratings of the gas to a higher quality that will prevent your vehicle from ” Knocking” which is what you have described.link below dded so you can read the facts for yourself.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&ei=z_jHXdicG8KD5wKZ5p7AAg&q=can+octane+boosters+reduce+knocking%3F&oq=can+octane+boosters+reduce+knocking%3F&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i160l3.127353.138508..138840…0.2..0.142.3971.10j26……0….1..gws-wiz…….0i71j0i131j0j0i3j0i67j0i22i30j33i22i29i30j33i21.xPCw9Tae-qc&ved=0ahUKEwiYwK2iyd_lAhXCwVkKHRmzBygQ4dUDCAo&uact=5
I like to see bvislanders that lives abroad investing in their homeland
Where you live is your home so how can here be someone’s homeland when the live in another country, wherever ah man live is his home land, this man is in his older age ask him how many years out his life he spent here, not one, not even when this business start he will be here
No matter where I roam, there is no place like home. Home is home not where you live, its greater than that. It is the place of your ancestors, it’s your roots, it’s where you belong.
Good feelings
Great to see jobs created, but will they be paying wages that one can realistic live off? Or, are we talking $6/hour, part time work that will lead to lots of turnover, poor service etc.
Who gives a s**t? A job is a job! If you are unemployed there’s a reason and you either take what’s available or sit and suffer, simple.
$6/hr, doesn’t even work out to $1k/month.
If those are the wages, good luck employing even 1 BVIslander let alone 60.
These same jobs here all the time, what change about this particular business to make want to do this kind of work, we need jobs that can offer us something, we can’t buy land with these kind of jobs much less build house, you see ayo parent might have land to give ayo but unfortunately we don’t have and we have to start from scratch, seems like we heading down a hill instead of up a hill…father God help us, another business coming to use our people again for cheap labour causing outsiders to deal with the pressure and take these jobs because outsiders can suck salt for 10 years and get something done out of these job, we locals try it, it will never work cause a dolla is a dolla here, outsider can send their money home and it double or even triple up, so only them stand a chance at these low paying jobs!!!!! Outsiders want to prove that they’re hard working people so they force their children to take up these jobs after they done work so hard to achieve their education….
WTF? Did you read what you typed? Do you think business owners wake up one morning and decide you know what? I’m going to start a business with the sole purpose of making employees rich so they can buy nice cars and build nice houses. NO, they set out to build successful businesses to make themselves rich so they can have nice things, why? Because they are the ones taking the risks! If you are a good employee then you too may be rewarded as a business cannot profit and function properly without good employees. Short story, work for what the f**k you want, nobody owes you s**t! You expect to pump gas or be a cashier and be paid mortgage wage? Pull up your socks, work and hustle for what you want.
Not so wise. OK, you stay home, drink greenies all day and wait for that big job to land in your lap. Will not happen.
This is 60 out of the 1000 jobs mehson The green team ain playin meh boy….
Can’t wait for the drive thru car wash. Much needed here
Hire locals bvi or usvi only these Island people think job is there’s.
Blah blah blah. Here u go again. Trying to pit locals against expats. That’s all u can do. Shame on you. U r getting boring.
We are all building this country together.
We building together but you getting paid
So if you dont want to work for your money leave. Lots of people want to work
Building this country? You come here on a work permit learn a trade here and you building this country? You are into your self. Sick of this building country s**t
I came here fully educated with full skill set; I may have improved on them but I did not come here an empty bell. I came here because my fiance is from here. I left my country fully employed to and was able to pay my bills. We deemed his job to be more important than mine given he was in the life saving services industry and that it was easier for me to relocate. I have given him kids and never ask for twat from your country. Yet everyday I look I continue to get beat down from these kind of comments for coming here. Lord knows I regret it and that had I stayed in my country I would have been way further in life. Only thing is that regret means me regretting my kids; the kids that have rights for here and the ones they say they trying make future for. Unfortunately I’m civil and of good heart so I wont make them see how this country and the people bring me to tears and I wont make them hate nor turn their back on their home.
Lady I feel the same way.
One day things will get better.
We building together but you getting paid
So if you dont want to work for your money leave. Lots of people want to work
Thank you, Allison, for what could only be described as a momentous occassion!
Finally, REAL AMERICAN GAS that will enhance the driving experience, not destroy cars!
A new day for the motoring public in the BVI!
Though was KFC opening ?