Magic City
Magic City, a family recreation centre, threw open its doors on June 30th, 2017. The entrepreneurial couple behind this business is Elias and Candis Mkoba. Located in Long Path, beautiful signage directs visitors to their #magical moments. Normal days and hours of operation are Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 am to 7:00 p.m. Post Hurricane Irma, Magic City has been operating on a truncated schedule but plans to return to regular hours shortly.
At Magic City, you will find something for every age group. There is the playground catering to young children, the arcade for older children and the lounge area with televisions for those wanting to relax and enjoy food and drinks. All ages are welcome to enjoy the pool. Magic city is an experience. It’s a day out with family and friends. It is good food and light hearted fun.
When asked about the birth of this tremendous idea, Candis shared, “The idea of Magic City was born out of my own experience as a mother. I believe Asante and Ochi (my kids) are household names because they are always with me, at work and play. I was looking for places that were family friendly where my husband and I could have fun while the kids were also being entertained. I felt I was not alone in that regard, so I decided to create a space that would facilitate that type of environment.”
The enterprising duo behind Magic City has the gift of recognizing and seizing opportunities. Candis returned to Anguilla in 2005 after graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Brock University in Canada. She was on leave for a year with the intention of returning to school to pursue medicine, a career she had envisioned for herself from her earliest memory. During that gap year, along with her then fiancé, they began repairing computers just mostly as a way to keep them busy. Things took off, a new vision was birthed and Candis was able to leave teaching at the high school to manage Gadget City, a computer and toy store, full time. Magic City is their most recent business opportunity.
The biggest challenge faced by this young business is bouncing back post Hurricane Irma, Candis admitted, “It literally knocked the wind out of me and I had to dig really deep to find the motivation to get back up and rebuild. The structures have mostly been repaired. I, however, am still struggling with finding the mental energy to keep pushing. The construction proved to be the easier part.”
Not one to give up, though, Candis asserted that the biggest benefit experienced is the joy of the challenge. She said, “I like pushing myself to the next level of difficulty and find great satisfaction in accomplishing my goals. I think working for myself has forced me to grow up exponentially. Besides that, hearing “Aunty Candis” shouted out from random kids in random places is great too!!”
The best advice she received came from her father who many years before had worked as a sales clerk in St. Thomas. Candis shared, “Even before I opened a business, I recall him saying “It is the service after the sale.” In short, your focus is never only on the immediate sale. It is how you help the customer after the money has passed hands that will determine the fate of your business. This is my approach with dealing with all my customers and it has helped me to build my clientele over the years.”
Candis’ top business tip is simple and direct: “Always trust your instincts.”
When asked about the ease of doing business in Anguilla, she affirmed, “I think that easy/difficult is a scale that is constantly shifting in business. The things I now find easy to handle would probably have made my 24 year old self bawl long tears as we say in Anguilla. But I honestly believe that in all areas of life, it holds true you get out what you put in. From university, to teaching, to parenting to business…..they all present difficulties. It is our mindset and approach that determine how we regard the tasks and, ultimately, how we come out on the other side.”
Candis’ response when asked about competitors speaks to the community minded person that she is. She shared, “I believe that all the individuals striving to run businesses in Anguilla play an invaluable role. As a community, we should support and recognize their contribution to building up this little island. As for myself, I try to run my own race. I try to never compare myself to what others are doing. I do what I am comfortable with. I try to do everything I undertake to the best of my ability. I am always cognizant that my parents are watching and that my boys are looking at me as an example.”
Anguillians have been very supportive of this new venture and for this the business owners are grateful. Candis stated, “I am always receptive to feedback. It is the only way to improve on the product. “
Looking towards the next years, Candis reflected, “Asante will be 19 and Ochi will be 16. Hopefully, their Dad and I would have groomed them right and we will be able to take our foot off the gas a bit and let them be the next generation to propel the business to the next level. Seriously though, I hope in ten years we will be part of the successful Anguillian entrepreneurial story. I hope we will be stronger than I can envision right now.”
To the General Public:
A big thank you for your continued support over the years. We love serving you and hope that we will be able to do so for many years to come.
By Shellecia Brooks-Johnson
