Interesting Business Links Between Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised when I see the same names in Paramaribo (Suriname) that I have seen in Trinidad and Tobago, but there are some interesting things which I have noted.

First off, it seems Kirpalani's (pictured) survived the Indo-Trinidadian's death. Ram Kirpalani, born in India on August 9, 1924, was an entrepeneur of note with his sales gimmicks. I remembered walking through Kirpalani's stores a number of times as I grew up, but I blinked one day and they were gone. Or perhaps I was simply not there. Ram Kirpalani died in 1985, and I had thought that the businesses had simply gone with him. Then I see not just one store but many Kirpalani's stores in Paramaribo. Walking through them, I noted the same versatile inventory that I used to see in Trinidad. So why now in Suriname? Apparently the family is here - that is about it. But since Ram Kirpalani was one of the contemporaries of people in my family, it is somewhat odd to see the name continued elsewhere. The world is an odd place.

When I saw signs for Rituals and Pizza Boys up, I was somewhat surprised. In truth, Paramaribo has coffee shops and it certainly already has pizza. That these two Syrian-run businesses are appearing in Suriname seemed somewhat of a surprise - in Trinidad and Tobago, they are establishing a 'fair' reputation, though there are rumors and allegations about some of the business practices involved. I don't know. What I do know is that in Trinidad and Tobago, the service I have gotten in different parts of the country for 'Rituals' has been inconsistent - and in some regards, dramatically so. Pizza boys - well, its pizza.

However, since they are setting up shop in downtown Paramaribo - tourist central - they'll get a lot of foot traffic and further establish their brands. Say what you want about the Syrians in Trinidad and Tobago, but they are sharp businesspeople. On the flip side, if they try opening in Holland they probably won't do so well.

I have in my pictures some signs for Carib beer that I've seen in Suriname. And this leads me to wonder about all those beer shortages that Trinidad and Tobago has been seeing. Perhaps the problem is that Carib brewery isn't making enough to support their local and global markets. I wonder if Trinbagonians are drinking the beer that just didn't make the grade for the global market... after all, Carib Brewery has demonstrated a history of inconsistency which lost them the Heineken bottling contracts...

There were other ties between the countries, obviously... but these were probably the most interesting at a glance. Perhaps there will be more in the future; it will be interesting to see which businesses can survive in both countries... and more. Something tells me that what I have seen so far has little to do with CSME.