Our Story Part 3: Retreat & Retreat Kitchen

The global recession hit Ambergris Cay at the end of 2010.  I was newly engaged at the time, and Laura and I were preparing for our fall wellness retreat at Ocean Rise.  Over the course of a weekend in October, our island home abruptly closed for business and we had to relocate our life and our work.

We regrouped on the main island of Provo and managed to land some dream jobs in the resort industry.  Laura became manager of Exhale Spa in the newly built Gansevoort Hotel on Grace Bay, and I launched Aman’s first Nature Discovery Center at Amanyara.

By 2014, Laura had opened her own small business teaching private yoga classes and selling fresh cold-pressed juice to a growing clientele.  She outfitted her small apartment kitchen into a juice, sprout, and wheatgrass kitchen.  Every day at 5 am she would start peeling, chopping, and juicing fresh veggies, pour all the precious juice into glass mason jars, stack them into a cooler of ice, then hit the road delivering everyone their juice before 11 am. 

I was living in Middle Caicos managing a boutique resort and restaurant with my husband at the time and raising our son Lucas.  Remote island life was very familiar to us and the communities of North and Middle Caicos were kind and supportive.  The beach at Mudjin Harbor, where we lived, is still one of my favorite places on earth.  As Lucas approached his second birthday, I felt pulled to return to the main island.  That’s when Laura called.  

“It’s time to open a yoga studio on Provo!”

Retreat Yoga and Wellness Studio opened that fall with full classes and a packed schedule.  It was an instant success with the growing wellness community on the island and soon became a go-to for those seeking a space for their own health and yoga journey.

Together we created a bright, beautiful studio with white-wash rustic touches throughout, large glass doors that opened into a mirrored studio and swaying palm trees to gaze at outside the windows.

Retreat had a welcoming charm, and we had so much fun in those early years running the show. We even pulled a page out of Dad’s book and brought in some space heaters to offer our 

favorite style of yoga, Hot Yoga. Our classes were powerful, energetic, and not to mention sweaty.

Laura’s juice business turned into a little ‘wellness fridge’ in the studio.   Her juices were soon joined with the most delicious sesame crackers and turmeric hummus, nut and seed granola, cookies, and muffins until we outgrew our fridge.

A year into the yoga business, we built a kitchen, hired some help, and opened our vegan juice bar and cafe. Retreat Kitchen complemented our yoga studio perfectly. 

After a yoga session, our students could wander next door for a banana walnut muffin, green juice, or super coffee—or they could stop in for our daily lunch service.

Lunch started with soup and salad with a slice of garlic toast. The soup and salad changed each day, and it worked well for us and our customers. Once our business was running smoothly, we began to expand the menu. We offered specialty vegan meals, like our Sunburger and Slaw, Vegan Tacos, and Summer Rolls, and eventually expanded our breakfast menu to offer toasties, overnight oats, and smoothie bowls. 

This was a special time for us. Retreat Kitchen became a popular cafe and social spot, and a place where we built a small work family within. We had an incredible team of women, some who came and went, and some who stayed on from the early days to the end. They all adapted quickly, and by the end, we were asking them about the flavors of our recipes.

Our cafe soon became a place to hold evening events and bespoke dinners. We got a liquor license and started hosting pizza and cocktail nights—and not just any pizza and cocktails. These were gluten-free, thin-crust gourmet vegan pizzas, with thoughtfully crafted cocktails and mocktails packed with fresh spices, herbs, and fruit.

We played chill music, set the atmosphere with fresh flowers and candles, and our evening events were usually fully booked. These nights were some of the most fun of our journey. Our Mom, who was spending more and more time on the island with us, took over our bookkeeping and daily input, and we spent most of the work day in our tiny office chatting and laughing. It was magic.

But, despite the feeling of thriving with our busy days, full-house lunches, and fully booked evening events, we were barely paying all the staff and ourselves—we often skipped our own paychecks.

While the yoga business was steady, our restaurateur skills were floundering. The numbers just weren’t adding up. We had to make some difficult decisions, but once we did, we suddenly had space to breathe through what came next.