Page 26 - Iconic Restaurateurs - The Entrepreneur Mag Ed. 3

Newsroom Take us back to the beginnings of DJ Harpo my brand into other areas such as

the retail sector. Our pasta sauces
While I was studying at hotel school, I needed some extra
cash. One of my friends suggested becoming a DJ. I remember
amongst the general public as they
taking the bus from Fort all the way to Aluthgama. I would and frozen pizzas have become a hit
spin records at all the hotel bars down south from Wednesday are readily available in supermarkets.
through to Saturday. Tourism was at its peak at the time and the The brand as a whole is diversifying
guests really enjoyed the vibe. Eventually, I became an essential through this process.
element of the mobile discos that Colombo saw at the time.
This is something that has stayed with me right through out, no Tell us about your hotel
matter how I have grown, I will always be DJ Harpo. school and why you feel it is
an important addition
My school is located in the south of
Sri Lanka and has been operational
“Either you love working for the last 8 years. I strongly feel that
a proper education in this discipline
in this trade or you don’t, will be extremely important for all
interested youth. As the government
that is the simplest way to is currently putting a firm focus on
put it.” attracting tourists in order to further
enhance this revenue stream, a
proper hotel school is vital. In order
for us to step up our game and be
on par with international standards,
Can you reflect on your first entry into the industry? we need to have the right talent. In
After I finished off my formal hotel school education, I was given terms of future developments, we are
an opportunity to become the entertainment manager for the currently in the process of tying up
Ramada Rennaissance which is now the Cinnamon Lakeside with a hotel school overseas in order
Hotel. During this time, there were some serious problems in the to further add value to the education
country, but we were able to work through all of this by keeping which our students receive
the spirits alive. Thereafter, I was head hunted by the Hilton and restaurant. Some of our clients decided that they wanted to sell their
enjoyed a few international stints which all together lasted 25 years. businesses,so my business partner and I jumped at the chance to What advice do you have for
aspiring restaurateurs?
buy them. It started with The Commons Coffee House and soon after
When did you decide to setup your own business? we acquired The Bayleaf and we kept moving forward from then on. This is a very hands-on business.
2004 was the year I decided to move on and set up something You’ve got to deal with long hours of
for myself. I initially setup a management company that would Do you have a favorite property from the lot? working with people. Either you love
take care of all the headaches that would arise when running a Personally, I really like The Bayleaf. It is an old house that has an working in this trade or you don’t,
that is the simplest way to put it. This
easy-going rustic charm which can easily turn any customer into a
something that anyone who wants
repeat guest. However, all of our properties have their own persona.
to get into this trade should know.
The Commons is always buzzing with many students, the Colombo
Everybody thinks that it is a lovely
Fort Café has a unique open kitchen, and of course the Park street
job but in reality, you are on your feet
Mews restaurant and Curve Tapas Bar is placed within a nightlife
24/7, all year round.
hotspot; The Park Street Mews complex. The unifying factor of all
my properties is that people may come as they are, we do not like
to fuss about dress codes and such, we want our guests to have a
comfortable experience.
Can we expect to see more restaurants opening up
under your belt?
I do not have plans of expanding my restaurant business as I am
quite happy with what we have so far. However, I have expanded

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