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The couple behind a newly opened Sri Lankan eatery in the Central Market have thanked customers for helping them realise their dream.
Jordy Thevenon and Hannah Vautier opened 'Little Jaffna' in the market next to SeeDee John’s last month.
They aimed to fill what they described as a "big gap in the market" following the closure of the island’s only Sri Lankan restaurant, Unawatuna, in July 2022.
"We are so grateful for the support and feedback that we've had so far, and especially for all the returning customers," said Hannah.
"Hearing their kind words makes all the hard work worth it!"
She added: "There have been a few people who have had their first taste of Sri Lankan food through us which has been great to share the taste and cuisine with Jersey."
Pictured: The Little Jaffna team outside the central market eatery.
The menu at Little Jaffna features a range of Sri Lankan street foods and snacks available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with popular items including masala dosa and lunchtime curry and rice pots.
The eatery also caters to vegan and gluten-free diets, with options available for alfresco dining and takeaway during the market's regular hours as well as late-night openings on Fridays and Saturdays.
Explaining the inspiration behind the restaurant, the couple said: “It has always been Jordy’s dream to share his family recipes.”
Jaffna is a town on the northern tip of the island and is the home of Jordy’s mum and family, while ‘Little Jaffna’ is a nickname used within the Tamil Sri Lankan diaspora to refer to Sri Lankan enclaves around the world in places such as Paris, London, Toronto and Montreal.
Pictured: The founders aim to put Jaffna on the map in Jersey
Hannah has a background in finance and accounting, while Jordy holds an MBA focused on e-business and product management and has experience in IT.
Though new to owning their own business, both have previous experience in the food industry.
Looking ahead, Jordy and Hannah plan to offer weekday dinners for collection from the market, as well as takeaway options through online platforms like Food.je and DeliverYou.
They also aim to launch a food truck next year to serve Sri Lankan food at events.
The couple also hopes to celebrate events like Tamil New Year to share more of Sri Lankan culture with the island community, inspired by the recent Lunar New Year celebrations held at the Central Market.
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