The Bayleaf gears up for 10th anniversary

Renovations are in progress and the garden is being done up for a special event at this 

colonial home. Furniture is being moved in and a lot of 

drilling and hammering noises can be heard. This is just the surface of what is yet to be 

presented in August. The Bayleaf marks 10 successful years in business and it seems as if the celebrations are 

rolling in nonstop for Harpo’s Restaurants this year.

The location of the restaurant has played a big role in its 

success as the neighbourhood is highly residential and also happens to be the diplomatic district of Colombo. When Harpo took over the business, he wanted to preserve the homely atmosphere, therefore no major structural changes were made. “This is more of a home than a business place for me and I want the customers who come to The Bayleaf to experience that homely 

atmosphere,” he added.

In Harpo’s words, The Bayleaf is a no-fuss place, a place where he returns every day. He says that the team has been a great strength to him in maintaining the consistency and growth of the business. “We thrive on our consistency, which has led us to become a successful restaurant throughout the past 10 years.”

Following are excerpts of an interview with Harpo:

By Sarah Hannan

Q: Looking back at the last 10 years in the backdrop of all the competition coming from restaurants in Colombo, how has The Bayleaf managed to secure its steady clientele?

A: The Bayleaf is my signature restaurant and though Commons Coffee House was the first to celebrate 10 years, this was my first project. Considering the fact that this is a colonial house, a lot of restoration work needed to be carried out and it took time to have everything in place to run a fully-functional restaurant. We are a friendly and casual restaurant serving traditional Italian cuisine. At the time we opened up, there were only a few restaurants in town and we have been very different to them in terms of positioning ourselves in the market. I operate from this very restaurant, as it is close to my heart and my office is located on the top floor.

The team at The Bayleaf has built a good rapport with the regulars, while being courteous to new patrons. It is that personal service our customers are always on the lookout for, so when they make a reservation, they know they will be taken care of. The location of the restaurant too has worked in our favour as a lot of embassies and residences are located in the neighbourhood. They look at The Bayleaf as their neighbourhood bar and restaurant.

Q: The Bayleaf is situated out of the main commercial area of Colombo. How has this impacted the growth of your business?

A: Having a standalone restaurant can help you in many ways and in fact I think we need to have more of these in the outskirts and suburbs of the country, for the simple fact of driving tourism into the country and providing great dining experiences for the adventurous traveller. If you go to any part of the world, you get lovely little restaurants and bars in every neighbourhood. That is what we should be creating in this country. Places where people could go to, without going into the city.

The city is clogged with such places and if you have your restaurants situated in places outside the city, you naturally dilute your traffic. It has worked perfectly well for us. To cite an example, when I opened my restaurant in Nugegoda to serve fresh pasta and pizza, people were saying, ‘Thank God, Harpo; we do not have to come to town anymore because you have come and setup a restaurant in our neighbourhood now.’ So we are in the process of setting up little pasta places and pizza places, creating that culture where people do not have to come to the city of Colombo, and providing them quality food in their neighbourhood.

Q: You affirm that the team behind The Bayleaf has been a main pillar of the restaurant’s success. Can you elaborate on this? Any particular people you would like to mention?

A: We have a good team of chefs in the kitchen. Saroj has been working at The Bayleaf for nearly 10 years and he brings in his expertise in preparing Italian food. He has worked overseas and throughout his stint in Singapore he had been mastering his skills to cook Italian cuisine. The Manager of this property, Manju, has been with me again for almost 10 years and he knows the operation very well. We have the friendliest barman in the country, Priyantha, who does a great job. Almost all the staff members have been at The Bayleaf throughout and for them it is like coming home to work. These are things that add up to the success of this restaurant. I attribute it a lot to my team and I cannot do it alone as I already look into so many other properties.

I am blessed with good people, who understand my requirements; they know my demands, which drive them to be number one in this trade. That is why we work as one big family. Dharshini has been a great support; she has to administrate all the properties and she has played a huge part in the success of my business operations.

Q: Can you explain the initial concept behind The Bayleaf and the challenges at the time?

A: When I opened The Bayleaf, I was not going to make it a fine dining place. I wanted to be a casual setup and it promotes a casual atmosphere. It is this relaxed and homely atmosphere that brought in the people. It has been a causal place serving good quality food at a reasonable price.

Speaking of challenges from a food and beverage point of view, I did not face any challenges; however, from an operational and logistical aspect, I was challenged - especially went it came to obtaining the necessary approvals from the Government. When it comes to businesses, the Government should be supporting people like us. They do not need to make things difficult for us.  Having said that, I have overcome all obstacles, but they should be encouraging people to start more businesses like this.

Q: What are your future plans for the property?

A: Right now we are redoing the whole place, starting from the garden to the rooms and the bar. Ten years is a long time and we wanted to set the bar high and I think it is time for us to do a new menu as well. From August onwards, you will see a new menu at the restaurant and we are introducing a new tapas menu at the Retro Bar. The garden will be able to accommodate more people and we are looking at promoting the place for events more often. We are adding a dedicated wine room with a wine sommelier and a pizzeria, which will unfold within the next six months.