It served as a favourite gathering spot right at the center of Vanuatu's vibrant main city — an ideal location for grabbing coffee, purchasing books, and escaping the intense Pacific sunlight.
However, after the destructive event that hit Port Vila, Jill's Cafe has been forced to seek a new location.
One of numerous enterprises has sought locations outside the CBD for reopening, following safety worries that kept the downtown area shut down for an extended period.
Elizabeth Worror, the cafe proprietor, expressed her gratitude as she was able to welcome customers back into their suburban venue—offering a serene retreat for a rattled metropolis.
She mentioned that people could sit here, unwind, and lose track of what occurred.
it’s simply astounding that we managed to get this spot.
About half a year following the natural calamity, visitors are starting to return to Port Vila. Sellers of handmade items have resumed their trade along the water’s edge, and the city’s minibuses are once again filling up the roads.
However, the permanent move of Jill's Café — following almost three decades in the downtown area — is merely one aspect of how Port Vila will appear altered as it resurfaces post the magnitude-7.3 quake.
Visitors coming back to the city are noticing a downtown area that is reinventing itself.
Where once prominent sites like the well-known hotel and tourist spot Chantillys on the Bay were located, there now stand vacant plots of land.
Entrepreneurs and federal authorities are closely examining the evolution of these areas in the coming years.
As the capital keeps recovering, locals claim that tourism will drive the resurgence.
They suggest that Port Vila should be reconstructed accordingly.
Tourism 'is the lifeblood'
News of the earthquake did little to deter Australians Jamie Brown and Luciana Gato from booking a trip to Vanuatu.
The promise of turquoise waters and sea turtle encounters lured them there, as did the idea of helping the nation's economy with their tourist dollars.
"It was a chance to help out the local community, buying gifts and going to restaurants because obviously it was a once-in-a-generation earthquake," Mr Brown said.
The December 17 earthquake killed 14 people and affected an estimated 80,000 people.
It caused widespread destruction to homes, buildings and infrastructure on the island of Efate, home to Vanuatu's capital, and the main population centre of the archipelago's 83 islands.
Port Vila's town centre resembled a ghost town in the following months, closed to the public while demolition crews pulled down unsafe buildings.
However, this trend is gradually beginning to shift—and as the CBD has reopened somewhat, locals are optimistic about continued recovery.
"When I see people around here, I feel overwhelmed," local Roslyn Garae said to the ABC.
The tourism office of Vanuatu stated that the international interest in vacations within this South Pacific island country has remained resilient despite the earthquake.
However, its CEO, Adela Issachar Aru, mentioned that there's potential for expansion.
As she stated, 'Tourism is the backbone of Vanuatu’s economy.'
We need to make sure that we market Vanuatu as an exciting adventurous and culturally rich destination.
The tourism sector still faces obstacles to surmount.
A huge landslip triggered by the earthquake is continuing to obstruct the route leading to Port Vila’s primary pier, which serves both international cruise ships and local vessels; currently, there are no imminent plans for removal.
The bankruptcy of Air Vanuatu last year continues to have ripple effects throughout tourist spots in the outer islands like Santo and Tanna.
"They're not getting that volume that they would be getting pre-earthquake, pre-Air Vanuatu times because they're still challenged with domestic connectivity," Ms Aru said.
Together with three tropical cyclones in 2023 and the COVID pandemic, the crises have weighed heavily on the industry, which has had the Pacific's worst post-pandemic tourism recovery.
Still, if tourism recovers and the government can finance reconstruction, Vanuatu's economy is expected to grow 2 per cent in 2025, according to an Asian Development Bank report published last month.
The Vanuatu administration predicts that the reconstruction following the earthquake will require approximately $US235 million.
As the rebuilding process begins, some argue it’s an ideal opportunity to reimagine Port Vila.
'A more beautiful city'
From the heart of Port Vila, Ms Garae expresses her hope that it will be reconstructed even stronger than before.
Moreover, she aims for the rebuilding initiative to transform the metropolis into an even more appealing destination for visitors.
Others concur that the city has a chance for growth.
Milroy Cainton, proprietor of the Pikinini Bar situated along the principal road in town, is advocating for increased areas designed with pedestrians in mind.
He mentioned that severe congestion in the urban area is leading to an unfavorable environment for both residents and visitors.
He stated that now our task is to turn Port Vila into an even more attractive city.
His digital plea has attracted numerous endorsements.
"Pedestrianizing the central business district’s main street isn’t just giving businesses a chance to draw in more patrons; it also allows both tourists and residents to come together, perhaps greeting one another with ‘hello’ or ‘bonjour, ça va? [hello, how’s it going?]. Essentially, they can mix and socialize," stated Mr. Cainton.
Sections of the Central Business District are still off-limits to the public due to ongoing demolition activities, with empty plots being prepared for future development projects.
The ABC reached out to the Vanuatu government regarding the reconstruction efforts, but they did not respond.
Assessments conducted by structural engineers after the earthquake highlighted two categories of buildings that performed poorly: older constructions lacking seismic design considerations, and newer developments that did not adhere to building codes.
The government is updating the nation's construction regulations and promising stricter enforcement following reports that numerous recently built, but severely compromised structures funded by the Chinese government circumvented local standards.
As businesses begin to reconstruct their buildings, they're mindful December's earthquake won't be the last for the natural disaster-prone country.
Included among these individuals are the proprietors of Chantilly's lodge, situated at the outskirts of Vila Bay prior to its demolition because of seismic destruction.
The hotel managing director, Loic Bernier, mentioned that they have received development suggestions from businesses based in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Thailand.
Mr Bernier wants a design that can withstand the next cyclone or earthquake as successfully as its other property Ramada Resort, built in 2016 on the other side of town.
He mentioned that they employed an engineer from New Zealand [for the Ramada Resort project], who was far better suited for Vanuatu compared to any other engineering company, since [New Zealand] has experienced numerous earthquakes over time.
Mr Bernier stated that the new Chantilly Hotel will have as many as 40 additional rooms and will serve as an enhanced center for visitors.
[YouTube Vanuatu earthquake]
He's guaranteeing it will be something "legendary" that people will "keep in their hearts."
Meanwhile, the company is teaming up with others to urge the Vanuatu government to enhance urban facilities such as sanitation systems, water drainage, and areas for pedestrians.
"There are numerous aspects to consider, and we might likely request thorough urban planning along with input from architects to revamp the town centre," Mr Bernier stated.
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