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Granada, Nicaragua: The Land of the Misfit Toys?

By Geoff McCafferty

My friend Brent Whistler describes Granada thusly, based on the diverse characters who call the Grand Sultana home. And this is one of the attractions of Granada. Folks who don’t quite fit with the expectations of Gringolandia. Raise your hand if you can relate!

Brent has been in Granada for a couple of years. He has dabbled in several projects and has been an outspoken contributor to the Ex-Pats Facebook group. We met him through the Drive-by Laundry service. When we got here in January buying a washing machine was a high priority, but when we heard about Drive-by we figured that for the few dollars a week to get laundry done and back, nicely folded, a machine was a poor investment. This is Brent’s second laundry service, making him an international conglomerate (he maintains interest in a laundry service in Chicago).

Chicago?! Brent’s journey to the land of misfit toys has been circuitous. He got his feet wet, literally, in Trujillo, Honduras while in the Peace Corps. He then attempted a small business importing artesania to the States. He got back into the corporate world as a service manager at Microsoft, pulling down big bucks but with all the stress that goes along with that. He left to join an ‘eco-village’ in Missouri where he honed his skills in healthy cooking.

In 2018, Brent returned to Central America, eventually ending up in Granada. His business model is designed to employ either women over 40 or LGBTQ+ folks or both. Those are two populations who suffer a lot of discrimination in employment and other areas. His business partner and buddy is Felix, who owns both the laundry and more recently Comfort Foods Felix, a service that creates and delivers a varying menu of foods: pizza, banana bread, lasagna, burritos, and other dishes, depending to some extent on what’s in the kitchen, the garden, and inspiration. Felix will show up on your doorstep with hot food and a smile for a reasonable price. And super eco-friendly, too, with biodegradable packaging.

Brent Whistler self-identifies as a misfit toy. Would that there were more like him, and glad he is part of our community.