30 Years Later: A Story From Bonaire
“Kwalu is the best quality of chair I’ve ever seen,” Sara says. “They handled the weather, the use — everything.”
November 12, 2025
In 1988, restaurateur Sara Matera and her business partner opened The Green Parrot Restaurant on the sun-soaked island of Bonaire, a Dutch territory in the southern Caribbean near Venezuela. With sweeping views of turquoise water and an open-air dining room seating more than 150 guests, it quickly became a beloved gathering place for locals and travelers alike. Visitors would toss crackers into the sea and watch fish dart in from 100 feet away.
But running a restaurant in paradise came with challenges, especially when it came to furnishing a space exposed to sun, salt air, and constant use. The Green Parrot needed furniture that could hold up not only to the climate, but to daily life at the water’s edge.
Enter Kwalu.
In 1992, Sara met David Horwitz, founder of Kwalu, at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Standing on the bottom rung of a chair, he jumped up and down to prove how strong and durable it was. That moment sealed the deal. Sara ordered more than 300 chairs, barstools, and tables — sturdy enough for the restaurant’s guests, and ready for island life.
“Kwalu is the best quality of chair I’ve ever seen,” Sara says. “They handled the weather, the use — everything.”
Their strength was tested in unexpected ways. When storms passed and swells from distant hurricanes rolled in, waves sometimes swept chairs into the ocean. Friends with excursion boats would help retrieve them, returning them to shore to dry and go right back into service.
Even after years in the Caribbean climate — and more than a few unplanned trips into the sea — the frames remained solid. Over time, Sara only needed to reupholster the seats. The structure stayed intact, strong, and dependable.
The Green Parrot operated until 1999, when a powerful swell from Hurricane Lenny damaged the restaurant beyond repair. Sara eventually retired, but the chairs outlasted the business they were purchased for.
“I never expected them to last like that,” Sara reflects. “They really did.”
The restaurant is gone, but the chairs continued on — quietly doing their job. Today, more than 30 years later, many are still in use across Bonaire.
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