Nestled in the heart of Colombo Fort, the Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct has found a special place in Colombo since its reopening in 2011.
Built in the late 1600s during the Dutch colonial period as a hospital for seafarers (although it has been repurposed several times over the course of its history), the sprawling complex retains its old-world charm, with its dual courtyards and long, columned verandas. By day or night, the Old Dutch Hospital is an inviting space for locals and tourists to just wander and relax, either in one of the courtyards or the many establishments in the area.
Functioning more as a tourist spot and a relaxing place for the corporate crowd working in Fort during daytime, the Old Dutch Hospital became an integral part of Colombo’s nightlife, with many renowned restaurants and eateries setting up shop within the precinct and in the surrounding area, creating an environment perfect for bar-hopping on a weekend night.
A vibrant lifestyle location pre-pandemic
The Old Dutch Hospital always struck a nice balance of being busy yet relaxing. The daytime hours saw the Old Dutch Hospital frequented by corporate clients looking for a nice, peaceful lunch and tourists taking in the sights.
The nights and evenings were busier, with the Old Dutch Hospital being a popular dinner spot across all Colombo people. With almost all establishments holding regular happy hours for the office crowd, it was the perfect spot for an after-work drink, given its largely central location and proximity to Colombo’s business hotspots.
The pandemic changed everything, not simply by imposing a nine-week lockdown, but also by altering the way we interact and spend our time, particularly in social contexts.
The Sunday Morning Brunch reached out to some of the staple businesses in the Old Dutch Hospital to learn more about how the Old Dutch Hospital is responding to the pandemic and, more importantly, what recovery would look like.
A lonely place in lockdown
With the lockdown hitting basically overnight, many – if not most – businesses were at a loss with how to respond, especially with movement being heavily restricted. This hit food and retail businesses very hard and the businesses in the Old Dutch Hospital were no exception, with almost all establishments ceasing operations for much of the lockdown period.
Colombo Fort Cafe, for instance, was shut down from 20 March up until mid-May. Harpo’s Hotels, Cafes, and Restaurants Founder/CEO Harpo Gooneratne, speaking on Colombo Fort Cafe’s response to the pandemic, explained that a large amount of business comes from tourists and travellers and that there will be a gap in performance until travel and tourism resume.
Ministry of Crab, one of the first establishments to open at the Old Dutch Hospital, ceased operations for the entirety of the lockdown, easing back into operations with delivery services once restrictions were relaxed and working their way back to eventually reopening.
Some businesses did not cease operations entirely. Taphouse by RnR, for instance, did not close, opting instead to run food delivery with a small team and develop new menus.
Heladiv Tea Club, a brand of HVA Foods PLC and another establishment within the precinct, while having closed their Old Dutch Hospital location, did not cease operations but resumed in a much smaller way, focusing on creating affordable corporate lunches that could be delivered to those working in companies unable to stop working during the lockdown. It also moved their Old Dutch Hospital employees to work out of the test kitchen at their Head Office.
The renowned artisanal brand Barefoot also ceased operations at their store, opting to reopen at a later date once foot traffic improves and focusing on operations on their flagship store in Bambalapitiya.
Adapting to post-pandemic life
All the establishments we spoke to highlighted the importance of keeping both their staff and customers safe and healthy, implementing the health and safety strategies introduced by the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
HVA Foods PLC Chief Operating Officer (COO) Charithra Hettiarachchi explained that they followed the health and safety guidelines to the letter, including giving every customer a mask and ensuring sanitisation is done frequently in a scheduled manner.
Ministry of Crab introduced a comprehensive health and safety programme titled “Keep Clean and Crab On” modelled on their well-known “Keep Calm and Crab On” in addition to training staff rigorously on operational protocols that maximise on health and safety.
Many establishments have also adapted their layouts to accommodate social distancing or are operating with limited capacity for guests. Heladiv Tea Club, for instance, is operating at 40% capacity when it comes to guests and is utilising only 30% of its full contingent staff, circulating staff on a rota basis.
On the whole, the tenants of the Old Dutch Hospital have collaborated to create a safer space for patrons. Taphouse by RnR Operations Manager Sampath Perera commented on the aspect of making the Old Dutch Hospital safer as a whole, saying: “The Dutch Hospital has some unique challenges for a situation like this because it is essentially open from many sides. But we have worked closely with all the tenants in the complex to ensure washbasins and sanitiser dispensers are available at every possible entrance.”
Getting back to normal
The biggest challenge to getting back to normal post pandemic is getting foot traffic to what it used to be. Ministry of Crab Founder Dharshan Munidasa commented on foot traffic, saying: “The biggest challenge will be getting guests to return, as there is still a fear factor among many in dining out. About 95% of our guests are travellers and currently, with the airport shut down, we have estimated that it would take an additional month after the reopening of the airport for us to return to around 50% of our normal level of operations.”
In the case of Ministry of Crab, which specialises in one ingredient, crab, supply is also an issue.
Hettiarachchi of HVA Foods commented that until foot traffic increases and restrictions are lifted (which is unlikely until either a vaccination is developed or we achieve immunity in some other way), it will be very difficult – nearly impossible – for businesses in the industry, particularly in places like the Old Dutch Hospital, to break even.
Looking to the future
The tenants of the Old Dutch Hospital are by and large hopeful for the future. While a large portion of long-term recovery will depend on the return of tourists and how quickly this aspect bounces back, the local market is not to be underestimated.
Barefoot CEO Dominic Sansoni shared that the presence of locals in the Old Dutch Hospital is vital to boost business because a big local presence makes travellers more interested in visiting a place, be it a restaurant, cafe, or shop.
Returning to normal in the long term, Hettiarachchi stressed the importance of being mindful in practising health and safety measures and avoiding the tendency to be lax because of the inconvenience. The pandemic is very much ongoing, even if Sri Lanka has more or less managed to return to normal life.
Collaboration is the order of the day to get through this trying time, and several of the tenants at the Old Dutch Hospital are coming together to create “Throwback Sundays”, an evening of entertainment which takes place today, 28 June.
Throwback Sundays at the Dutch will feature Harpo, Tareeq, and Pradeep on the decks and food stations by Ikoi Tei, Heladiv Tea club, Ministry of Crab, and Colombo Fort Cafe, with the participation of Nature’s Secrets, Barefoot, and Spa Ceylon.