A bit of History

JB’s has been around for so long out here, that the words Belize and JB’s go together like rice and beans (which is the staple diet here in Belize!) Like most places with a bit of history, JB’s has had a very chequered past. When it was first built, it was the first and only place between Belize City and San Ignacio where a person could stop off for refreshments. It was built of timber and thatch, but “thar’s termites in these parts” and most of the timber was untreated, so not only did JB’s develop into a restaurant and bar, it was also a favourite munching place for the termites!

Over the years it was leased and rented to many different people, none of them stayed for long for one reason or another, electric wiring hung from the walls like spiders webs, switches had long ago lost their covers, doors no longer fastened, but in spite of all this people stopped here for refreshments. Everyone in Belize knows JB’s. Just ask anyone “How do I get to JB’s?” and they’ll be able to tell you. The busses to and from Belmopan and Benque all pass our driveway and stop outside.

Then in 2001, JB’s Corporation, the 10 acres of land, the Restaurant the Bar and the termites were bought by a couple of crazy South Africans who had spent 5 years in Belgium. They had nightmares about the electric wiring, even the termites had started to abandon the place, as there was nothing left for them to eat! The food was awful, the decor worse.

One day there was a loud crack and investigations showed that one of the main timber supporting the thatch had broken and the entire place was on the verge of collapse. There were two options, - run or rebuild! We decided to rebuild, but we felt that the days of scorpions and termite infested thatch, were over and that tourists objected to being rained on from leaky thatch roofs, so we put on a metal roof. Then we got carried away completely and ripped everything down and rebuilt it from the ground up. In a moment of madness we added a 60,000 BTU Air-conditioning unit and a ceiling into the Bar and extended it by 20 feet!

.Situated between Belize City (the Old Capital) on the East and Belmopan (the New Capital) further West on one of the few paved or Tarred roads on the whole of Belize, we are only 2 miles from the Belize Zoo, one of Belize’s big attractions. Heading west from here brings you to Maya Ruins, the Guanacastle National Park, the (inland) Blue Hole, Herman’s Cave, the Maya Mountains and a whole world of exploration and beauty.

Heading West back towards Belize City, brings you to the sea, the second biggest Coral Reef on Planet Earth, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and all the other watery things that folks like to do.

In a nutshell, JB's is situated ideally for anyone who wants to explore Belize.