Women at the Helm by Susan Campbell Downtown Oranjestad’s restaurant scene has been blossoming lately; it’s virtually impossible to miss the creative, colorful, and dynamic newcomers staking their claim beside the many newly refreshed legendary landmark establishments. But old or new, there’s one thing many of these successful places have in common, and that’s a powerful female presence.
In some cases, it’s easy to see what women in the downtown restaurant scene are bringing to the table – literally. For example, at Amice Lunchroom, their female award-winning chef ensures that everything leaves the kitchen looking more like fine art on a plate than basic fare, and her incredibly refined homemade pastries bring an elegant, elevated offering to their menu. It will come as no surprise that Pinchos Grill & Bar set on a pier with twinkling lights, and often cited as one of the romantic dining spots on the island, was borne of a female owner’s vision, and that its sister establishment, The West Deck, is located upon the absolute best view of the sunset over the sea from the downtown core. No mistake there.
And though the brilliantly colored canopy roof of umbrellas covering the terrace of the brand-new HP Bar & Grill might signal a woman’s taste, the concept was actually a collaborative decision of the engaged couple that own it. The restaurant offers live bands, hot DJs, and excellent grilled food, but you will note the female influence in their menu as they also offer lighter fare and even vegan choices alongside the classic grilled (and often messy to eat) meat options. But women running these businesses bring a lot more than alluring décor and elevated eats to their establishments, they also bring grit and determination in order to stand out in a mostly male-dominated industry.
Take the congenial one-woman show that owns Taste My Aruba under the Cosecha building. You would never guess, as she warmly welcomes her nightly guests, that she had been up at the crack of dawn to source fresh ingredients from local farmers, had already expertly filleted a massive catch-of-the-day, and had still made time to create all the sides from scratch… without skipping a beat. Running a restaurant is not for the faint of heart. It takes incredible stamina. But women are masters at multitasking, and their desire to mentor each other in business is also a plus. At landmark family-run Driftwood restaurant, it’s the matriarch who has been captain of the dining room over their decades of operation. She has since mentored and passed that torch on to her daughter-in-law at that establishment so she can be more hands-on at their sister spot, Red Fish restaurant, just off Eagle Beach. And despite the fact that the original concept of legendary Garufa Cocktail Lounge as a
gentlemen’s rum and a cigar bar, and El Gaucho restaurant as an intrinsically “macho” carnivore spot was their father’s original vision, the daughters who run them now have added their own more modern and cosmopolitan vibe to both. It might come as a surprise that it is a woman at the helm of rowdy, fun bar Eetcafé The Paddock, best known for attracting expat Dutch males and being the place to watch football especially when the Netherlands are playing. And its sister spot, 7 West, open for relaxed dining in the evening, also turns into quite the wild party spot later at night! Regardless that these women are intrinsically competitors, they are also good neighbors. There is a silent sisterhood of tribal support and an inherent undercurrent of understanding of the unique challenges that women can face in this predominantly male-oriented industry. But though their sisterhood may be silent, when it comes to running their respective businesses with passion and drive – you do hear them roar. K
Meet the Women at the Helm TOP ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Carolina Merryweather-Raven – Driftwood and Red Fish Geraldine Guzmán Lopez – HP Bar & Grill MIDDLE ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Annelotte Ellis – Amice Lunchroom Nathaly De Mey – Taste My Aruba Anabela Peterson de Sousa – Pinchos Grill & Bar and The West Deck FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Francine de Lannoy – Driftwood and Red Fish Natasha Ignacia Brieva – El Gaucho Roanne Lacle Peterson – Pinchos Grill & Bar and The West Deck
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