THE latest Internet technology has hit Guernsey. Riva Bistro & Bar is the first island hotspot to embrace wi-fi ‘ a system that allows people to connect to the Net at broadband speed without cables.

Riva’s owner, Alan Griffiths, said the service was most useful for business people who owned laptops and who wanted to work on the move.

‘If your laptop is wireless-enabled, you literally just click on to Internet Explorer and you find that you are online through our wireless link. If you don’t have a wireless-enabled laptop, we can lend you a card; you plug it into your machine and run the software ‘ which we give you. You’ll then be connected.

‘Once you’ve come to us and run the software once, the next time you come you literally just plug in and you’re away.’

Wi-fi is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world ‘ there are more than 3,000 hotspots in the UK alone.

‘All major airports have got it,’ said Mr Griffiths.

‘If you go down a high street in the UK, a lot of the supermarkets, restaurants and bars have it.’

He added that Riva was offering the service to customers free of charge and it could prove useful to visitors. Mr Griffiths said that a business person could visit Riva, have a cup of coffee, send an e-mail to head office and get a reply before finishing their coffee. Customers could also ‘interrogate’ their head office computer.

‘The difference between this and an Internet caf’ is that he’s using his own personal computer with his own personal security on it.

‘It could also appeal to a holidaymaker whose kid has brought his own laptop and wants to go online to play games.’

About 200 people can use the service at any one time.

Mr Griffiths ‘ who co-owns Riva with Ricky Leslie ‘ said the business opened last summer in the former Burger King premises.

‘There’s a big difference. I found one or two people coming in and scratching their heads.’

He said Burger King failed because it was ‘a volume business’.

‘They get a lot of people in the summer but none in the winter.’

He added that Riva was in ‘an excellent position’ with access to car parking on North Beach. The interior was based on that of a luxury super-yacht.

‘I wanted to open a lively dining venue with really good food in a medium price bracket.’

He said that the year had gone well, with good takings over the winter.

‘Winter in Guernsey is when the caterers rise and fall. If you can’t have a reasonable winter trade, then the summer isn’t enough to bring you back up.’

Riva is open all day, seven days a week, with food from 10am to 10pm. It also sells coffees and teas and there is an evening cocktail bar.

Mr Griffiths runs other island restaurants. He is a partner with Howard Holland in Crabby Jack’s, the Red Onion, the Wicked Wolf and the Crispy Duck.