KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — The past couple of years have seen an influx of pubs and bars in the Klang Valley. These are places on which the emphasis is on good drinks, decent food, and good company.
From traditional English pubs like Sid’s Pub, modern “beer bistros” like Tom, Dick & Harry’s and Brussels Beer Café; and full-on beer joint franchises like Overtime; it seems as if these kinds of outlets have taken over night clubs as THE places to be at.
Unfortunately, I’ve been to enough of these outlets to notice certain things that I feel every bar or pub should have. These are things that are essential to a bar, which not only adds to the overall atmosphere of the place, but also makes the customers feel even more at home and also appreciated. Here are three of those things:
1) A bartender who actually knows what he is doing, and waiting staff who know what they are serving
A bartender should be more than just someone who pours beer and wipes up the mess the customers leave. He is the frontline of your bar, the one who makes sure you get the drinks you want, the way you want it. And having a good, friendly bartender who recognises you, knows your name, and pours you your favourite drink even before you sit down is one of the things I love most about a good pub.
Likewise, there’s nothing more annoying than a bartender who doesn’t even know the difference between vodka and rum, can’t even pronounce Smirnoff properly, and pours you a beer full of foam and little else. Unfortunately, most outlets these days tend to hire foreign help who have no clue whatsoever about what they are doing, and are not trained on how to pour a beer, how to open a bottle of wine without spilling, or even how to talk to a customer properly.
2) Proper toilets with ample urinals for men
I can’t stress how important this is for a pub. In an environment that is probably going to have A LOT of men drinking copious amounts of beer or spirits, it is ESSENTIAL that you provide enough urinals for them to have a quick piss, and go back to drinking. There’s nothing worse than getting up to take a leak, and discovering that there is a long QUEUE in front of the toilet. Why do you think the back alleys of certain outlets sometimes smell of urine, eh?
My advice to pubs? Rip out all but two cubicles in your men’s toilet, put in a couple urinals instead, and use that extra space you’ve freed up to extend the women’s toilets by adding more cubicles in there. That way, you not only keep the guys’ toilet er.. flowing smoothly, you’ll also make sure the ladies don’t have to wait too long for their turn as well.
3) A decent music selection
I’ve actually been to a bar that served decent drinks, but had what I think was a “20 Most Romantic Love Songs” CD on repeat, with songs by Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Air Supply, and *shudder* Michael Learns To Rock. Needless to say, I never went back to that joint. Playing super-loud techno music or hip-hop music is also a big no-no in my list.
Look, people go to pubs for drinks, and most of the time, to meet up with friends or watch sports. They don’t go there to dance (you’ve got clubs for that), or on romantic first dates (take her to a proper restaurant, for heaven’s sake). How are you supposed to strike up a proper conversation with the sound of techno music drowning out your voice?
Personally, I’ve always thought that some good old rock music never goes wrong, especially a mixture of classic rock tunes and some recognisable 90’s alternative rock (everyone seems to love those) that people can sing along to (which always happens when people are happily inebriated). But remember to keep it light and not too heavy – as a bar owner friend once told me, there’s simply is no place for Norwegian Death Meal in a pub’s playlist.
