For nearly 10 years, Shakira Drakes honed her culinary craft across some of Barbados’ most respected food and hospitality venues, working her way up from an entry-level salad station role to senior management. Now, this veteran chef is channeling a lifetime of experience and profound personal grief into a new venture that honors her greatest loss: on what would have been her late daughter’s 21st birthday, Drakes officially opened the doors to Kira’s Cuisine, her very own eatery located at St. James’ Husbands Heights Park.
Reflecting on the bittersweet milestone at the launch event Thursday, Drakes shared that opening her business on this meaningful date was a deliberate choice, one designed to celebrate both her daughter’s memory and her own journey through grief. “I’m very proud to say that I started my business yesterday on my daughter’s birthday. She would have been 21,” Drakes said. “I wanted to do something really amazing to reflect my resilience, my humbleness and my art.”
Drakes’ culinary career began at Barbados’ Open Kitchen, where she started in an entry-level role before working her way up to supervisor. Over the following years, she built her skills and reputation across a roster of iconic local establishments, including luxury resort Sandy Lane, popular waterfront venue Pier One, and Fusions Rooftop. Her most recent position as a restaurant manager gave her the confidence and expertise to strike out on her own, fulfilling a long-held personal goal. “I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I wanted to do this for myself and for my children,” she explained.
The path to opening Kira’s Cuisine was not without its setbacks, Drakes acknowledged. She originally planned to operate from a mobile food trailer, but securing a permitted, suitable parking location proved far more challenging than she anticipated. For weeks, she persisted in searching for a spot, but repeated dead ends left her discouraged and ready to abandon the dream. “Every week we were still connected until one time it was like I gave up. I wanted to throw in the towel because it was very depressing,” she recalled.
Drakes credits her network of supporters with pushing her to keep going, when she was ready to walk away. In particular, she highlighted the ongoing encouragement of Taahir Bulbulia and representatives from the Barbados Trust Fund Ltd, who worked alongside her to secure the Husbands Heights Park location. After months of searching, Bulbulia delivered the good news she had been waiting for: “He said: ‘Kira, I get a spot for you.’ From there it was nothing but up,” Drakes said.
Today, Kira’s Cuisine serves a diverse, accessible menu of casual comfort food and signature dishes to the St. James community, ranging from chicken and fried fish platters to tacos, blackened fish entrees, subs, and fresh wraps. Drakes also emphasized that all menu items are certified halal, expanding accessible dining options for Muslim consumers in the area. The eatery operates 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and remains closed on Sundays.