Woman quits U.S. job to fulfil childhood dream of owning restaurant in Guyana
Mar 09, 2025
Sheron Barrington
By Shervin Belgrave
Kaieteur News- A Guyanese nurse has quit her well-paying job in the United States of America (USA) and returned home last December to fulfill her childhood dream of owning her own restaurant.
Paradise Plates located on Duncan Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.
Sheron Welcome Barrington told Kaieteur News that realizing her dream would have never been possible without hard work and lots of prayer and fasting. She thanks God and her family and friends for helping her open ‘Paradise Plates’, a cozy little restaurant at 84 Duncan Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.
At a simple opening ceremony on Valentine’s Day, where popular one-man band “Stitchie” performed, Barrington told Kaieteur News about her journey.
“A lot of sacrifices, a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work and there was a lot of obstacles along the way,” she said while explaining that owning her own restaurant and a salon has always been her childhood dream apart from her career in the medical field.
“I love cooking,” she said as she recounted becoming a nurse at the age of 17 in Guyana. She later migrated to the USA where she has worked for decades. For the last 24 years, Barrington said she worked with the best hospitals in the United States. Notwithstanding the positive rewards abroad, the woman said she kept her eyes on the prize of owning her own restaurant in her home country.
Two years ago, she returned to Guyana and assessed some business prospects.
However, the bold step of giving up her job and returning to Guyana was a big challenged. She returned to her U.S. home and was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Struggling to make a decision on her own, Barrington, said she turned to her God for help through prayers and fasting.
“I fasted and I prayed about it and I just got up and left,” Barrington said.
A dish prepared by Paradise Plates
She added, “God said well, it is time to go, so I quit my job of 24 plus years of working in the operation room and on December 6 (last year), I walked into the hospital, I cleaned my locker room and handed in my resignation and on the 8th of December, I was here.”
Despite the challenges, things fell into place for Barrington and today she now owns both a restaurant and bar along with a salon.
The name ‘Paradise Plates’ was inspired by Barrington’s love for cooking and a friend she fondly calls her “sister in Christ” whose name is Paradise.
“They (her customers) are gonna feel like they are in paradise, everything on that plate is gonna be delicious,” Barrington told Kaieteur News.
Her main goal is to cook for her customers the same way she cooks for her family, “with love”.
Paradise Plates offers a variety of dishes, including American cuisine and traditional Guyanese dishes. The location is also suitable for a date in paradise with its well-stocked bar offering a variety of drinks from cocktails to mocktails as well as fruit juices.
The newly opened restaurant also provides catering services and the location can be rented for weddings, birthdays or other special events. Barrington noted that if customers are busy but still want to experience paradise, their food can be delivered following a call or message to 501-6064.
Barrington is encouraging everyone to work towards their dreams.
(Woman quits U.S. job to fulfil childhood dream of owning restaurant in Guyana )
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