SKINNY Bean Cafe is nestled in the Arts Village in Pacific Harbour, and offers a diverse menu to suit all tastes—from healthy choices to hearty favourites.

It’s a convenient and affordable dining spot, especially for visitors without a car, with prices more reasonable than nearby resorts.

The cafe serves everything from omelettes and large pizzas to tasty burgers, all complemented by quality coffee.

Guests can enjoy their meals in a charming courtyard setting, making it a relaxing and pleasant place to dine while exploring Pacific Harbour.

Owner Nilesh Kumar lives in Navua with his family and has a firm background in the food industry, having worked in hotels and resorts as an FNB manager for about nine years.

“I worked at Lagoon Resort for almost nine years, then at another restaurant owned by an American lady – which was later closed.

“I decided to open my own as I’ve gained enough experience in this field of work – so why not?,” Nilesh shared.

In 2018, he opened Skinny Bean with financial support from his family. He utilised his extensive experience in the food industry to establish and operate the restaurant, which is currently his only branch.

He said the business experienced two good years between 2018 to 2019 before COVID-19 hit, leading to two struggling years.

“We operated during the pandemic with limited hours, adhering to regulations, and maintaining staff with reduced hours.”

“Following COVID-19, in 2022 to 2023 we saw improvement, but the area faced challenges as a bank and supermarket left, making it quieter.”

Nilesh said when the supermarket and bank branch used to operate at the Arts Village, it would attract a lot of people, whereas when they closed down – the turnout wasn’t good at all.

He said this was one of the major challenge his business faced as it was also affected due to lesser customers coming in.

However, this did not let him down, as he continues to let his business grow.

The cafe’s busiest days are during the weekends, with weekdays being slow.

Nilesh says he relies on the local community’s support, which he credits for keeping the business afloat, and also benefits from tourism when hotels are full.

He shared that Skinny Bean Cafe specialises in coffees, sandwiches, wraps and pizzas.

Pizza is their popular and biggest seller.

The business employs five staff members, with additional help from Nilesh’s son and wife.

They operate daily from 7am to 7pm.

Nilesh says the local market is his main support, with the surrounding community being loyal customers who stood by him during the pandemic and continue to do so.

“Their ongoing support is one of the reasons I’m still in business, and I’m truly grateful,” he said.

He was also grateful to the passerby customers who stop in.

“Tourism also plays a role—when nearby hotels like The Pearl Resort and Uprising are fully booked, we often get overflow visitors from there.

“The combination of community support, passing traffic, and tourist spillover has helped sustain and grow my business through challenging times.”

Nilesh said he is just working on what’s in demand for his customers at the Pacific Harbour community, in order to keep his business steady.

He said in the future if everything turns out well, then he might extend his business – but for now, it’s just what it is.

Nilesh shared that he focuses on meeting the demands of his customers in the Pacific Harbour community to maintain a steady flow of business.

He emphasised the importance of adapting to what people wanted, which helps keep things running smoothly.

While he has no immediate plans for expansion, he mentioned that if things go well in the future, he might consider growing the business.

For now, however, he’s content with operating at the current scale, prioritising stability and customer satisfaction over rapid growth.

Nilesh encourages passersby to stop in and try his pizzas, proudly claiming “they’re the best in Pacific Harbour.”

Confident in the quality and taste, he welcomes everyone to experience what sets his pizzas apart, hoping to attract more customers through word of mouth and personalized recommendations

Guests can enjoy their meals in a charming courtyard setting, making it a relaxing and pleasant place to dine while exploring Pacific Harbour. Picture: MINDTRIP.AI
Inset: Skinny Bean Cafe owner Nilesh Kumar at his cafe at the Arts Village in Pacific Harbour. Picture: ANASEINI DIMATE