Sales also improved by 15 to 20 per cent due to the extra hour, he said.
“The new orders coming in after 3am, it’s considered quite a lot per table,” said Mr Loganathan.
He felt that the hour-long extension will ultimately “make a lot of difference for people to come back out”, especially when more outlets in the area join the trial.
“A lot of them are converting their licence from restaurant to bar – with URA – then after that, they go to the police for the liquor licence,” he said, explaining why there could be a lag in more establishments coming on board.
During the (COVID-19) pandemic, a lot of nightclubs converted their status to restaurants in order to continue operating and survive, said Mr Loganathan.
If more nightlife businesses now apply for the extension and open later, “everybody will be merry”, he added.
Ms Mitch Phang, owner of SMLJ bar in Circular Road, told CNA she applied for the liquor sales extension “just in case” she wanted to keep her business open longer. She has not yet adjusted her official operating hours.
On Saturday, she did indeed open until 4am.
“I applied thinking that the whole Boat Quay would eventually apply. Can’t be they all get, then I stay closed, right? So I’m taking it as a backup plan now, and there’s no harm applying,” said Ms Phang.
She shared that while Fridays are normally a full house, this Friday was not.
“One reason a lot of people are not coming out is because after 12am, they have to go and do prayers for the start of the seventh month,” she said, referring to the Hungry Ghost Festival.
Ms Phang said that if she extends her official closing time to 4am, customers will simply come in later. People who get drunk may not want to leave, as the place is still open for them to stay on.
“The thing about attracting the late crowds is that they mostly cannot drink already, because they’d all be a bit drunk by the time they get here,” she said.
Ms Phang said she aims to turn the second and third floors of her shophouse unit into nightlife venues too, registering the new business endeavours as part of the one-year pilot to revitalise the area.
For example, she wants to have a nightclub on the third floor – which has been an office space for the past few years – subject to approval from the authorities.
The government had announced that applications to set up new bars, pubs and nightclubs along the Boat Quay Waterfront, Circular Road, Lorong Telok and Canton Street, will be considered, after years of a freeze.
Ms Phang said that if more establishments join the extended liquor licence pilot, it may help draw more visitors to the area, with the chance that people will stay later too.
However, Ms Phang noted that customers staying later does not necessarily make it worthwhile for her bar to remain open, as it may not translate into sales.
“Some customers call and ask me what time I’m closing. They say that if I open until 4am, they will head down,” she shared.
“But if they come down and get just one bucket of beer, it’s not worth it for me. Just because they stay another hour, does not mean they open one more bottle.”
Her point was echoed by the director of food and beverage and head of operations at Blu Jaz in Clarke Quay, who identified himself as Mr Anuj.
Mr Anuj said his firm applied for the licence three days ago “because we think it’s better to have it” and is awaiting approval.
However, he said: “Just because we get the licence, doesn’t mean we are going to open until late. But if there’s such a privilege, why not get it first?”
He noted the misconception that a later closing time translates into higher revenue. “The majority of the party crowd will simply come later,” he said.
TO APPLY OR NOT?
Another business quietly optimistic about the new rules, and which has applied for the extended liquor licence, is Crazy Monkeys bar in Circular Road. Its manager, who only wanted to be known as Mr Kumar, said it is currently awaiting approval.
