by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Mon. July 24, 2023

With a heavy heart, we bid adieu to Smiling Meats, the once grand and cherished meat shop that has served the Belizean community with unwavering dedication for several decades.

Founded by the late Winston Smiling, a respected former senator, advocate of the People’s United Party, successful businessman, and patriarch of the Smiling family, the establishment’s closure marks the end of an era, just a couple months after Mr. Smiling passed away, in May 2023.

Though founded by Winston, the reins of the business had long been handed over to his son Matthew Smiling, who had successfully managed Smiling Meats for perhaps more than a decade.

On Monday, July 24, news surfaced that the well-established shop on New Road in Belize City was not only closing down but had allegedly been sold. In an attempt to understand the reasons behind this abrupt turn of events, we reached out to Matthew, but he said he was unable to speak on the matter at this time.

The closure of several other well-known and historically significant stores in the city, one after another, prompts speculation about the financial challenges faced by businesses in the post-COVID-19 era. The pandemic has hit numerous establishments hard, and it’s difficult not to wonder if this, too, played a role in the fate of Smiling Meats.

At present, we find ourselves with more questions than answers, and remain hopeful that the Smiling family will soon shed some light on the reasons behind this decision. Meanwhile, we are left to cherish the memories that Smiling Meats has given us and the contributions it has made to the Belizean community over the years.