Kingston, Jamaica: In the community of Whitehall, St. Andrew Chris Harpaul attended Swallowfield All-Age and St. Andrew Technical High School with the hopes of becoming an auto mechanic. Those dreams, however, swiftly changed course once he discovered that the starting salary was far from ideal in granting him the financial independence he desired.
He then decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps and enter the bar business in 1980, having watched them run the bar which was then called the Honey View Tavern for years. In fact, the name Honey View came from the fact you could view the landmark known then as Honey Hill from the tavern’s entrance. Honey Hill later became Church On The Rock.
An astute lover of entertainment, Harpaul also invested in his own sound system as an added avenue for joy within the Whitehall-Mannings Hill Road community. The Playmate Disco sound system bought from Clive Chambers in 1984 is no stranger to the sound clashing circles having battled with the likes of Stone Love and Metro Media.
Known fondly as ‘kiddy’ from his childhood days of walking baby goats around the community, this second-generation bar owner serves both great spirits and his community with extensive business knowledge and a big heart.
“The bar was fully handed over to me by my parents about 10 years ago due to health reasons,” stated Harpaul. “In fact, my father opened Honey View Tavern in the 1970s, then it became the Honey View Pub. And when our clientele started showing a preference for hours after 11pm, we changed to Honey View Club. Since I became the sole owner, I have registered and renamed the business to the Original Honey View Club. And I feel confident in that name because there is no other place like this. People come here because it is a foundation bar, and we offer competitive prices.”
Harpaul noted that when people come to the Original Honey View Club they can expect to have a good time. “Honestly, the community’s favourite pastime is partying, so we have created a decent set-up where they can come together and do just that. The Original Honey View Club is where the community gets together.”
The community was reunited over the weekend as The Original Honey View Club celebrated 50 years of business at its busy Mannings Hill Road-Whitehall Avenue location on Saturday, October 15, 2022. With musical selection by DJ Squeeze, the Wray & Nephew branded bar partnered with its leading seller to celebrate the milestone.
For the Original Honey View Club, the connection to Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum is marked both on the external walls of the club and on the inside where a plaque dated from 2008 from Wray & Nephew Ltd. thanks Honey View Tavern for 35 years of support. This brings the partnership to an astounding 49 years as of 2022.
“We are proud to be a part of the rich business and community history of Original Honey View Club. Chris’ family have been stalwarts of Whitehall, its culture, and its people, and as the official spirit of Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence, we celebrate and admire the arduous work and spirited drive of Chris, his parents, and his team in keeping this community cornerstone abuzz. We wish them continued success for decades to come.” said Pavel Smith, Marketing Manager, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum.
Customers of the Original Honey View Club were treated to a party atmosphere of music, food, discounted specials and Wray & Nephew giveaways.