Page 11 - aruba-today-20221213

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local Tuesday 13 december 2022
Part of historical building in city center to be converted into a

restaurant with a special twist

ORANJESTAD – Last week it we are open for every-
was announced that part of body”, Raven said.
the monumental building
known as ex-Botica Aruba,
situated in Steenweg in the Witsenburg added that
city center, will become the tenants will only be us-
a restaurant. Stichting ing one floor, which means
Monumentenfonds Aruba that they will continue
said that this is the second searching for a tenant for
phase of restoration for this the top floor of the building.
building. She said they are already
in contact with an interest
Anne Witsenburg, director party and they hope that
of Stichting Monumenten- soon the top floor will also
fonds said that this building be occupied.
was constructed in 1925
by Adison Croes, and in As a foundation, they pro-
1935 they opened the first vide guidance to the ten-
pharmacy – “botica” in Pa- ants about changes that
piamento – called Botica can be done to the building
Aruba through the Nouel inside, if they can change
family, who lived upstairs the color of the walls for
while the pharmacy was example. But as a founda-
downstairs. tion they take care of the
entire maintenance of the
In the beginning of the outside of the building and
1990s, they sold the house, date yet, the restaurant and Dubai. He has a lot of an acquaintance told him also any repairs that might
where afterwards El Merca- Koal will open”, Witsenburg Asian influence and he will to ask about the building at be needed, seeing as it is a
do was opened in 1993. At announced. try to mix this with the Aru- Steenweg. When they saw monumental building.
this stage the building was ban culture. the building, they realized
expanded, thereby losing Albert Raven together with it is ideal to open their res- Regarding all monuments
some of its original state, as Tommie Rensen, owners Raven also grew up in Aru- taurant. that are protected by Aru-
confirmed by Witsenburg. of what will become Koal ba, and he said that it’s ba, Monumentenbureau
Later that business closed restaurant, told the me- great to see how the streets They plan to open around is the organization that
its doors in 2015, and Sticht- dia present that they will in the city centre began February, but this also de- hands out the rules. They
ing Monumentenfonds pur- be using the lower level of coming back to life. pends on materials and the also have rules that Sticht-
chased the building from the building where they will process of opening, as the ing Monumentenfonds fol-
them, presenting a plan open a restaurant with the About choosing this loca- place needs to be ready. low, anything they do they
to restore it and give the “chef’s table” concept, tion, he said that they were “Local clients will always be receive permission from
building a new life. A group available to only 16 people searching for a spot and welcome, but visitors also, Monumentenbureau.q
of artists was introduced to per night. “It will be very in-
the building to use it from timate and special, where
2016 until 2019 under the I will be cooking and Tom
platform BEAM while the will be serving our guests”,
plans were in process. Raven said.
After that, the restoration This is because, as Raven
began on the outside of said, many times the chef
the building, “which is why does not get the oppor-
it’s pretty like this and has its tunity to connect with the
original colors”, Witsenburg guests, and this “chef’s
said. table” setting will give the
opportunity for everyone
When the Covid-19 pan- to have more contact with
demic broke out in Aruba, each other on a more per-
it was very difficult to find a sonal level. “I think every-
tenant to make use of the one is in search of that”, he
building, and for some time said.
it was empty. However, this
year Stichting Monumen- The restaurant’s concept
tenfonds signed a lease is basically whatever they
agreement with a new ten- want to cook, which means
ant, whereby the building each night there will be dif-
will begin the third function ferent food. “It will be most-
of its life and become a res- ly what is available locally.
taurant. We will focus on local prod-
ucts and also a bit interna-
“We are very proud to an- tional”, Raven pointed out.
nounce that beginning of He also said that he has a
2023, in the first months, as lot of experience in this sec-
we don’t have a precise tor, working in Abu Dhabi