Reggae Shack Café assured customers that "every little thing is going to be all right" with Jamaican restaurant's reopening today at 11 a.m.
The restaurant, 619 W. University Ave., had been closed since Feb. 8 for renovations.
"We wanted to upgrade our look," said Omar Oselimo, owner of Reggae Shack. "We wanted to enhance the Reggae Shack experience."
Renovations included expanded seating and an upgrade to the kitchen and air conditioning.
"We have three times the amount of seats from before and a lot more space. We did a lot of little things to make it more comfortable," Oselimo said.
The restaurant also expanded the menu in response to customer requests, adding sandwiches such as jerk burgers and "currified" chicken sandwiches.
Oselimo recommended oxtail, the Shack's signature dish, for first time customers.
"And if you're vegetarian, then try the vegan steak or curry tempeh," he said.
The restaurant was originally scheduled to open Monday, but the date was pushed back to today due to "last minute details."
Oselimo said that they have received about 50 calls a day since they installed the phone line two weeks ago, so he expects it to be a "little crazy" when they reopen.
"I am excited and look forward to providing delicious food and great service for a very long time in Gainesville, the best city in America to live in," he said.
In terms of great service, Chris Gilmore, a UF sophomore agrees.
"People there are really nice, and they always greet you with a smile," he said."It makes the food taste better."
