SINGAPORE: It was only 4pm on a Wednesday (Dec 9) but there was already a line of people waiting to get into Skinny's Lounge at Boat Quay - the first customers at the bar after a closure of about eight months due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Along with Bar Kiharu and Bell Bar, Skinny's is one of only three bars reopening this week under a pilot programme for the nightlife industry.
AdvertisementAdvertisementRegular customer Patricia Foo told CNA that once she heard the news, she and her friends made plans to be at Skinny's the moment it opened.
"All the staff are so friendly, they're basically friends at this point. We just wanted to come show our support and say 'hi' to them," Ms Foo said. "It's been a while - COVID-19 did not help anyone at all."
Patrons at the bar counter of Skinny's Lounge on Dec 9, 2020 when it re-opened under a nightlife business pilot scheme.
The vibe was a little different at Skinny's compared to before the pandemic hit, with softer music of about 60 decibels, mandatory mask-wearing and safe distancing - but at least the customers were back.
AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Tuesday, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the three bars would be open for two months to trial safe management measures and the ability of the nightlife industry to comply with them, before the Government would consider re-opening nightlife businesses.
MTI and MHA received a total of six nominations for bars and pubs.
[h=3]READ: 3 bars and pubs allowed to reopen under COVID-19 pilot programme for nightlife industry
READ: 5 things to know before visiting bars under COVID-19 nightlife pilot[/h]Besides adhering to prevailing safe distancing measures such as limiting groups to five people and the wearing of masks, bars are also required not to have live music, karaoke, dancing or activities such as darts and billiards.
AdvertisementAdditionally, businesses are not allowed to sell alcohol past 10.30pm and provide hostess services, and their premises must be monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
Bar Kiharu at Orchard Plaza.
Ms Junko Mizouchi, who runs Bar Kiharu at Orchard Plaza, said installing a CCTV was the biggest change at her whisky bar. She has also reduced the seating capacity from 13 to nine people.
"I was lucky - I have been longing to open for a long time," said Ms Junko, adding she had not thought of pivoting her business.
"I want to keep this for regular customers. If I switch to selling food, the atmosphere will change."
Just across the road at Cuppage Plaza, the Japanese restaurants and izakayas the building is known for were bustling but many karaoke pubs remained shut.
File picture of De Phoenix KTV lounge at Cuppage Plaza. (Photo: Chew Hui Min)
One exception was Bell Bar - a tiny pub that opened on Tuesday night, just hours after the announcement was made.
The bar owner, who only wanted to be known as Mabel, said that the past eight months had been tough. She had taken up another job to get by, only to see her salary and savings drained by rent and other expenses while she waited for permission to reopen.
"We finally get to open. Sure, there's no karaoke right now ... limited capacity too, but as long as I can open, there's always a way to try and survive," she said.
Both bars said they have had enquiries and reservations from their regular customers.
Owner of Bell Bar at Cuppage Plaza Mabel. (Photo: Chew Hui Min)
When details of the programme were announced in November, the authorities said that the pilots for karaoke outlets and nightclubs would be expected to begin in January 2021.
Patrons would be expected to take COVID-19 tests before being able to visit these venues, but there is no such requirement for bars and pubs.
[h=3]READ: Some nightlife businesses allowed to reopen with COVID-19 safety measures under pilot programme[/h]MTI and MHA said in November that nightlife establishments that wished to "pivot" to other activities would be able to apply for a grant of up to S$50,000 from Enterprise Singapore (ESG) to defray any costs incurred, such as equipment and third-party consultancy costs.
Nightlife establishments exiting the industry can also apply to ESG for a payment of S$30,000 to defray their costs.
With the availability of such grants, there were only about 60 establishments, which include bars, karaoke pubs and nightclubs, that expressed interest in the pilot programme, said the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA).
Meanwhile, SNBA, which is the first point of contact for businesses that want to apply for the grants, received close to 500 enquiries about pivoting or exiting.About 65 per cent were interested in pivoting while about 35 per cent of the enquiries were about exiting, said the SNBA secretariat.
In addition, bars and pubs with other revenue sources, such a restaurant aspect to their business, were not eligible for the pilot. Many had also re-opened as restaurants.
"Operators were of the view that it might be more sustainable to convert their establishment to F&B for this period, at least their sale of foods could go beyond 10.30pm," the spokesman said.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram??????
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Along with Bar Kiharu and Bell Bar, Skinny's is one of only three bars reopening this week under a pilot programme for the nightlife industry.
AdvertisementAdvertisementRegular customer Patricia Foo told CNA that once she heard the news, she and her friends made plans to be at Skinny's the moment it opened.
"All the staff are so friendly, they're basically friends at this point. We just wanted to come show our support and say 'hi' to them," Ms Foo said. "It's been a while - COVID-19 did not help anyone at all."
The vibe was a little different at Skinny's compared to before the pandemic hit, with softer music of about 60 decibels, mandatory mask-wearing and safe distancing - but at least the customers were back.
AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Tuesday, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the three bars would be open for two months to trial safe management measures and the ability of the nightlife industry to comply with them, before the Government would consider re-opening nightlife businesses.
MTI and MHA received a total of six nominations for bars and pubs.
[h=3]READ: 3 bars and pubs allowed to reopen under COVID-19 pilot programme for nightlife industry
READ: 5 things to know before visiting bars under COVID-19 nightlife pilot[/h]Besides adhering to prevailing safe distancing measures such as limiting groups to five people and the wearing of masks, bars are also required not to have live music, karaoke, dancing or activities such as darts and billiards.
AdvertisementAdditionally, businesses are not allowed to sell alcohol past 10.30pm and provide hostess services, and their premises must be monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
Ms Junko Mizouchi, who runs Bar Kiharu at Orchard Plaza, said installing a CCTV was the biggest change at her whisky bar. She has also reduced the seating capacity from 13 to nine people.
"I was lucky - I have been longing to open for a long time," said Ms Junko, adding she had not thought of pivoting her business.
"I want to keep this for regular customers. If I switch to selling food, the atmosphere will change."
Just across the road at Cuppage Plaza, the Japanese restaurants and izakayas the building is known for were bustling but many karaoke pubs remained shut.
One exception was Bell Bar - a tiny pub that opened on Tuesday night, just hours after the announcement was made.
The bar owner, who only wanted to be known as Mabel, said that the past eight months had been tough. She had taken up another job to get by, only to see her salary and savings drained by rent and other expenses while she waited for permission to reopen.
"We finally get to open. Sure, there's no karaoke right now ... limited capacity too, but as long as I can open, there's always a way to try and survive," she said.
Both bars said they have had enquiries and reservations from their regular customers.
When details of the programme were announced in November, the authorities said that the pilots for karaoke outlets and nightclubs would be expected to begin in January 2021.
Patrons would be expected to take COVID-19 tests before being able to visit these venues, but there is no such requirement for bars and pubs.
[h=3]READ: Some nightlife businesses allowed to reopen with COVID-19 safety measures under pilot programme[/h]MTI and MHA said in November that nightlife establishments that wished to "pivot" to other activities would be able to apply for a grant of up to S$50,000 from Enterprise Singapore (ESG) to defray any costs incurred, such as equipment and third-party consultancy costs.
Nightlife establishments exiting the industry can also apply to ESG for a payment of S$30,000 to defray their costs.
With the availability of such grants, there were only about 60 establishments, which include bars, karaoke pubs and nightclubs, that expressed interest in the pilot programme, said the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA).
Meanwhile, SNBA, which is the first point of contact for businesses that want to apply for the grants, received close to 500 enquiries about pivoting or exiting.About 65 per cent were interested in pivoting while about 35 per cent of the enquiries were about exiting, said the SNBA secretariat.
In addition, bars and pubs with other revenue sources, such a restaurant aspect to their business, were not eligible for the pilot. Many had also re-opened as restaurants.
"Operators were of the view that it might be more sustainable to convert their establishment to F&B for this period, at least their sale of foods could go beyond 10.30pm," the spokesman said.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram??????
Let's block ads! (Why?)
More...