Young entrepreneur plants his Calabash Garden

ONCE people can gather in numbers larger than ten, there is a space waiting to be enjoyed by those who love an outdoor lounge in the middle of the city, complete with palm and fruit trees, bistro tables and stools, cosy corners with couches, wooden benches and even a swing.

Until then, those who enjoy tasty punches made with peanut, beetroot or pumpkin – and a variety of pies – can swing by to enjoy the options available at its sister company, Punch & Pie. The refurbished ole-time building is neatly tucked along Tragarete Road, Port of Spain, near Mario's at Cipriani Boulevard.

Its owner, Dale Ramirez, said despite the negative effect covid19 restrictions have had on the business environment, he is excited to share his new ventures, having pushed through the anxiety that has come with these uncertain times.

"This is not a time to be scared. It is time to get resourceful. This is the time to rise above everything. It is not about the effects of a problem – but the recovery. I always measure my growth by how I can recover from the effects of a problem."

Covid19 restrictions on gathering slowed business to the extent that he projected difficulties in sustaining the Woodbrook gems, Drink Lounge and Bistro and Loftt Gallery. They closed in June. He was also the owner of Humzinger Juice Bar on Maraval Road, which closed in 2017, having been there since 2009.

Asked how he felt about facing such harsh economic realities while working on a new venture, Ramirez said, "The news of covid was one thing, but the response was another thing. The response is, why we are now suffering?"This project was independent of Drink and was on its way, heading in this direction with the hope that Drink would still have been there.

"But after negotiations with the lessor did not reap any reduction in rent, I was forced to bail as so many other tenants have had to in order to reduce enormous downstream debt and risk. It was a little easier to cope because I had a plan B."

To spare himself and his team's further economic hit from drastically reduced income, the 39-year-old entrepreneur said he had to close both doors while his most recent business venture, Calabash Garden, was under way. But he said he was able to create new opportunities for the people who worked at Drink, including the four chefs.

"A big motivation for opening this business," he added, "was also to retain my staff from Drink. Everyone was suddenly out of work. I am not one of those guys with a deep pocket who could keep paying staff, nor would I tell them to go fend for themselves.

"Drink was like my baby, so it was hard having to close its doors."

But, he said, "I was so busy with setting up Calabash Garden that the impact of what was happening did not hit me for a while."

It was not until he tapped the "post" button on social media to share the letter announcing the closure of the bar and gallery that he felt a rush of emotion. "That was when the tears came."

The bar, at Rosalino Street, grew over 12 years and became a landmark and staple in Woodbrook since its opening in 2008.

"When I first moved into that building it was a blank canvas, and with time I added elements, like the piano, that many people grew to love."

It was the official TT Film Fest bar, more or less the same for the Bocas Lit Fest and the venue for a number of events organised by Carnival bands such as the Lost Tribe. The bar attracted an eclectic crowd consisting mostly of people from the creative industries.

Features like the piano, which many visitors to the lounge would have played over the years, are what he hopes to bring to the Calabash Garden, at 48 Tragarete Road.

"Many may know this location as the spot where Veni Mange would have normally held the annual (Mini Veni) fete."

Punch & Pie faces the main road on the same property as Calabash Garden.

Ramirez said he tries his best to source ingredients from local suppliers. He creates the menus, designs layout and imagines the décor of every space he has occupied, but does not consider himself an artist, though he said he is always reminded by those who know him that he is artistic, as, is evident in the design aesthetics of his business ventures.

"I am reminded I merely use a different form of canvas."

The self-declared lover of art, architecture, food and the culture of TT has melded his interests and his talent for creating unique eating spots in the city. He hopes Calabash Garden, like Drink, will be a warm, eclectic, inclusive and ever-evolving space.

Ramirez created Punch & Pie and Calabash Garden in collaboration with long-time friend Rosemary Hezekiah, who has been in the hospitality industry for over 40 years and is the owner of creole-style restaurant Veni Mange on Ariapita Avenue, opened with her late sister, Allyson Hennessy, in 1980 in St James.

Apart from being a friend from whom Ramirez said he has learned much
, he said her wealth of knowledge in business has been beneficial. The relationship, he said, benefits both, as Ramirez has helped Hezekiah maintain a strong presence in the digital age, which differs greatly from 1980
.

Since then he has had sleepless nights working long hours to keep Punch & Pie earning as much as it can while preparing Calabash Garden for its launch.

Punch & Pie, Ramirez said is another idea that became something beautiful, though borne from pure necessity. It has been open for just over a month. While the Calabash Garden slowly takes shape, he said Pie & Punch, where people
have been enjoying a range of punches and pies, has been growing steadily since opening.

Owing to the extension of covid19 restrictions, the new business has not had an official opening, though there was an introductory brunch, strictly by pre-order and takeaway.

"We managed the flow by stretching pick-ups over three hours, and kept social distancing rules enforced."

"That was just for commerce because we need money to survive. People responded to the space as I hoped and expected. Many people said they wished they could have stayed.

"We hope to add the element of leisure to a very crazy, fast-paced city. The elements that makes the space special is what we have been given by the natural environment.

"We intend to add other interesting features, like a mud oven, soon. We also plan to set up a chulha, which is a clay stove brought to TT by our East Indian ancestors. Features like these will also kind of force us to rely on traditional forms of cooking.

"We plan to keep adding interesting features over time. We have brought over much of what would have made people enjoy Drink. I think this space will also open us up to a wider clientèle."

Several well-liked menu items from Drink, he said, will be available at Calabash when it is open for in-house dining.

Ramirez said he looks forward to sharing it with customers daily and will also make the space available for rent for corporate and private functions.

As for other young people interested in establishing a start-up or small business, even in these uncertain economic times, he thinks should take the leap, adding that it is always good to be surrounded by good people and older people with a wealth of experience in life and business.

"Be brave. Be creative."