Music Cafe in Singapore

[carinac]

hi there, sorry for the late reply. I went for a short holiday during national day.

thanks for all the advise. First, I been thinking of this cafe idea for a pretty long time. I been to Hark Rock, Muchuan and Ai Qing Hai and I have enjoyed myself. I have seen how their business goes in and out and end of the day, I know it doesn't really earn. I visited Hark's website as well. It's really cool. They have a music school to run and this helps to give them more capital in managing the stuff. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't have alot of funds to spare as well. I have 2 friends pooling in too but I will be the main person managing. I understand the consequence in setting up too. Things may not end up the way I want to. I can't have too much liquor too cause it is meant for students as well.
My idea :

Rough Guide
Location : Neighbourhood (Somewhere around Central, West or East)
Theme : Housing Talents (Can have different themes for different days)
Food : It's either Japanese food or Local food (Laksa, Prawn Mee etc.. Stictly halal)

Not sure if anyone see stephen chow's movie before. I can't remember the movie show name but you know something like mac donald where everyone self served and with tables. There will need to be a stage too with PA setup. It can be a food cafe in the day and with peformances at selected hours.

 

[ictaros]

I always believe such music pubs thrives when alcohol is being served. Even if the music is bad, everyone will still be jolly and merry :wink:

Furthermore, it attracts a crowd with a large spending capacity and the potential sales of drinks will definately increase.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe I've come across *successful* music pubs that don't serve alcohol but food. It's a good idea to reach out to students, but youngsters nowadays are becoming more fickle in music preferences and interests. How often will students be patronizing the cafes regularly? Any creative way of retaining your existing customers esp when you're targetting the younger generation?

I say you'll have more success opening a night pub! :wink:

 

[Scream_ed]

The examples of Hark Music and MuChuan are examples of niche audiences, I suppose. They play mostly very soft type of Chinese pop, Sun Yanzi ad nauseum...and attract only a certain group of audience who won't get sick of Sun Yanzi in a hundred years...they dun even play Mayday there.

My point is, I do agree that having specific themes to attract specific audiences does make practical sense, however much you wanna help the local English scene prosper. Gotta balance business with ideals. But that doesn't mean that you can't break out of the box and have a better concept. It just hasn't been thought of yet.

But F&B ventures eat up a lot of $$$. Plan real carefully.

 

[mikemann]

I just want to add the following:

Being a customer, you cannot comprehend what the employees go through in operating a place like a pub, music cafe...etc.

Being an employee, you are only concerned about keeping the customer happy, doing your job properly and most importantly getting your pay. You cannot comprehend how the manager has to balance the book and manage the place properly

Being the towkay, you have to make sure that your operations are as tranparent as possible to the above 2 groups if your establishment is sucessful. Of course the towkay have to bear the brunt of whatever overhead, purchase, staff pay...etc. Feel the ultimate pressure.

So my point is, there is a whole difference in being a customer viewpoint and the actual operation itself. What you can see in you eyes could only be 10% of what goes on behind the doors.

Especially in the F&B industry, you can easily make a wrong move and go bust in as soon as 3months from start business. There are too many such account.

From a customer to become a towkay, means you have to completely reinvent yourself and shed totally the viewpoint and concept as a customer. Imagine if the towkay also party together the customers, he will always be made to be the sucker "On-The-House" routine. This is the first and formost you need to chew on before you even think of the next step of mapping out the operations and forcast.

 

[aaron]

:roll:

 

[aaron]

The examples of Hark Music and MuChuan are examples of niche audiences, I suppose. They play mostly very soft type of Chinese pop, Sun Yanzi ad nauseum...and attract only a certain group of audience who won't get sick of Sun Yanzi in a hundred years...they dun even play Mayday there.

who says they dun play may day and so much sun yanzi?

:roll:
Are u a very frequent customer?

 

[soft]

aaron, next time you can just print the name of the SOFTie that you are replying to lah. No need quote his post.

* just like how i print your userid :wink:

 

[AgingYouth]

carinac, it's good you are thinking about the location, food, etc.

To me, these are the real backbone of any cafe. Screw the theme of the cafe first. You might not wanna do a pure music cafe after a while. The margins are low and if you dun sell booze, you are going to go low.

My only suggestion is to build a strong menu, one which people will come back for. Cuz that's what keeps people coming back.

Music is secondary unless you can shape up your operational side of the business.

You might wanna check out Danny (UBlues)'s new bistro, Timbre. It's doing pretty well nowadays. Great food, great ambience. You wanna attract ppl who can spend and convert them to regulars.

You do a pure music cafe. You'll have your students, etc who will come in and watch a show and drink a Coke at (the most) SGD3.00 per drink for the next 4 hours. Man, that's a lotta Cokes you gotta sell to cover that day's overheads.

 

[mikemann]

8O I can't imagine that coming from the mouth of AgingYouth......????

mmmm.... was it from some bad experience???

 

[AgingYouth]

Er... why shouldn't it be not coming from my mouth eh?

Well, it's purely from a business perspective eh? Since carinac is gonna open it up to students, I tot I'll let him know of the potential headaches he might be facing. Everyone had been a student once in their lives. Being a poor and budget-stricken student sets down the particular rule of squeezing every single dollar that you have. In fact, I took certain pride in how I managed to get away with all the free flow, cheap booze and cheap food for years...

It's a good idea to develop an outlet for everyone but in the end, reality bites. You will start looking at who can spend and will spend. Any businessman will shift his business direction to that.

 

[Scream_ed]

Heh. Can't express an opinion here without drawing some flak huh? Is that obligatory?

 

[soft]

dont worry Scream_ed, both AgingYouth and mikemann are actually doing harmony. the melody is the same. only add the intervals to make it sound richer.

wow, must be the kopi doing weird things to my typing.

you must know some backgroud story lah. mikemann is a helping the local muscian by running a budget rehersal studio. AgingYouth is the champion in leading the underground band to "aboveground?". ha.ha...

business is a tough man, only when you are in it you will feel the heat.

 

[mikemann]

Hahaha..... AgingYouth does sound well heeled in dollar & sense..... heehee.

If you got business plan, just drop me a note. I am all for a self-sustainable business model, in the music scene... heehee

That's the principle I being following for a good number of years. Look after your own ass first before you can help push your fellow's backside.

 

[Scream_ed]

No no...sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't referring to their chat. I was referring to the comment to my comment. I was just trying to be satirical with my opinion of te local music cafes that I was mentioning...never mind that though...it's nothing important.

Ya lah. In real life situation, there will be a lot of opinions flying around cos each is trying to prevent the other from falling hard. I dun see any problem with them discussing things here. At the very least, no cash is being dispensed at this point...

Please carry on.

 

[soft]

Scream_ed, sorry, misread your post. ya, actually the places you mention do not only play SYZ kinda music. got different different style also.

 

[AgingYouth]

Nah, we is no champion. We is doing it only for da beer money and meeting new chicks...

 

[soft]

damm, i knew something was wrong with the virtual thing! i need real beer and real ...

 

[pepper-]

8O

 

[AgingYouth]

damm, i knew something was wrong with the virtual thing! i need real beer and real ...

I can't help you there with the beer thing... but hey, ain't you married? So it's true what they say eh?

"Marriage is the end of good sex..." :wink:

Hehehe...

 

[carinac]

ok. i'm understand about the beer stuff. My cafe is not being realistic enough. I might suffer a loss for the coke stuff and price... I'm not against achohol lah. It's just that I may need to put in more $$$. Phew! I got a friend working as a bartendar. Let me check out the liquor cost first.

Location : I still prefer neighbourhood. Central, West or East.
Food : Strong Menu is a must. To be defined. Have talked to subway. See how thing goes.
Drinks : I will consider booze but I see how students can come in.
Music : Is a Must. Must find the right theme too.

Let me do a cost review first. I will try to pop by Danny (UBlues)'s new bistro, Timbre. It's good to look around. Must learn how to attract ppl who can spend.. Thanks alot.