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Looking for opinions on the name for a new bar on the Darkside


Mobi

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IMO stay away from all words containing "dark". I can see the attraction of some of these names, but feel that "dark" is a negative word and may turn some people away.

If you need to use Mobi, I reckon Mobi's on its own is a good name.

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Since Mobi is in retreat from his former addiction, simply call the '"The Retreat".

Retains some link to the OP's former struggles and alludes to somewhere for like-minded individuals to similarly 'get away' from the daily rigmarole of living the dream in Pattaya, be it crap internet and TV, wives from another planet, the new karaoke bar that moved in next door or the perpetual lack of water.

No Mobl's, no apostrophes, just (hopefully) a retreat from the fly-by-night nature of lakeside pubs.

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One tip...give your punters some peanuts and crisps, trust me this does work!

Never, ever play "Hotel California."

Some good tips, although the problem with peanuts and crisps (from a punters point of view) is that such food in bars have now been found to often have a high concentration of urine - put there by punters who take a leak and don't wash their hands, Anyway, I won't be eating them....

I opened this thread to get opinions on the bar name, and frankly, I feel it has probably run its course.

However, I am happy to continue the thread if anyone else wants to contribute some more name suggestions, but it occurred to me that maybe we can broaden the thread to include tips/advice on how to run a good bar. Or alternatively, what turns punters off a bar?

I will get the ball rolling with:

Bad, uninterested service, by lazy, slovenly staff with a very bad attitude. How often have I been in a bar and been largely ignored by what is sometimes quite a bevy of girls sitting in the corner and chatting, playing with their phones or playing games. Even if i get served reasonably promptly, they then scurry away and never linger to check if I may be interested in a chat or buying them a drink.

I have seen this happen on countless occasions not only to me but by men who come into to a bar alone, are ignored after they order their beer; so they down their beer as quickly as possible and then leave - never to return.

Since stopped drinking alcohol, I have taken to drinking Diet Coke and orange juice in bars. Once served, I find that nobody ever asks me if I want another drink. I have frequently sat in bars for 2 -3 hours and only ever had 1 glass of coke, because nobody has bothered to check and see if I want another one. It benefits me, but at the same time it irritates me that the staff can be so inattentive.

Cliques of men in bars who go there every day and look daggers at anyone new who happens to wander in. If this isn't bad enough, almost invariably the owner and bar staff are equally unfriendly - almost as though they don't want your custom. Maybe they don't....

Inability to understand simple drinks orders and get your drinks mixed up and/or put your bill in the wrong cup etc.

Loud, inappropriate music. I would venture to guess that the average age of punters on the Darkside is over 50. this being so, they have little or no interest in the latest mind-blowing hip hop and mind-blowing, 'boom boom' music that almost shakes the bar to its foundations. Most punters come for quiet chat, and I can't count the number of times I and others have left a bar because we can't hear ourselves speak. Even polite requests to turn the music down a little are usually met with blank stares. And i am not talking go-go and disco-type joints that cater for the younger crowd, just your regular beer bars with a few old- stagers whiling away their days.

Bad , cheap speaker systems are another pet hate. The owners spend fortunes on every aspect of their bar décor, yet they purchase the cheapest, smallest, tinniest sound systems they can find.

Treat your best customers well, and even buy them an occasional round of drinks. It will pay in the long run and make your customers feel good. There is hardly a bar in the whole of Thailand who will buy drinks for its customers, yet if you go to places like the Philippines, it is a very common practice. It costs so little to get a bit of loyalty but the cheap minded, penny-pinching owners can't see it.

There's loads more - but over to you to add to my list

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Keep the beer fridge running over night. So many bars around the lake used to turn off the beer fridge at night thinking they were saving money. If your early in the bar it's warm beer or icecubes!

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One tip...give your punters some peanuts and crisps, trust me this does work!

Never, ever play "Hotel California."

Some good tips, although the problem with peanuts and crisps (from a punters point of view) is that such food in bars have now been found to often have a high concentration of urine - put there by punters who take a leak and don't wash their hands, Anyway, I won't be eating them....

I opened this thread to get opinions on the bar name, and frankly, I feel it has probably run its course.

However, I am happy to continue the thread if anyone else wants to contribute some more name suggestions, but it occurred to me that maybe we can broaden the thread to include tips/advice on how to run a good bar. Or alternatively, what turns punters off a bar?

I will get the ball rolling with:

Bad, uninterested service, by lazy, slovenly staff with a very bad attitude. How often have I been in a bar and been largely ignored by what is sometimes quite a bevy of girls sitting in the corner and chatting, playing with their phones or playing games. Even if i get served reasonably promptly, they then scurry away and never linger to check if I may be interested in a chat or buying them a drink.

I have seen this happen on countless occasions not only to me but by men who come into to a bar alone, are ignored after they order their beer; so they down their beer as quickly as possible and then leave - never to return.

Since stopped drinking alcohol, I have taken to drinking Diet Coke and orange juice in bars. Once served, I find that nobody ever asks me if I want another drink. I have frequently sat in bars for 2 -3 hours and only ever had 1 glass of coke, because nobody has bothered to check and see if I want another one. It benefits me, but at the same time it irritates me that the staff can be so inattentive.

Cliques of men in bars who go there every day and look daggers at anyone new who happens to wander in. If this isn't bad enough, almost invariably the owner and bar staff are equally unfriendly - almost as though they don't want your custom. Maybe they don't....

Inability to understand simple drinks orders and get your drinks mixed up and/or put your bill in the wrong cup etc.

Loud, inappropriate music. I would venture to guess that the averege age of punters on the Darkside is over 50. this being so, they have little or no interest in the latest mind-blowing hip hop and mind-blowing, 'boom boom' music that almost shakes the bar to its foundations. Most punters come for quiet chat, and I can't count the number of time I and others have left basr because we can't hear ourselves speak. Even polite requests to trun the music down a little are usuallly met with blank stares. And i am not talking go-go and disco-type joints that cater for the younger crowd, just your regular beer bars with a few old stagers whiling away their days.

Bad , cheap speaker systems are another pet hate. The owners spend fortunes on every aspect of their bar décor, yet they purchase the cheapest, smallest, tinniest sounding systems they can find.

Treat your best customers well, and even buy them an occasional round of drinks. It will pay in the long run and make your customers feel good. There is hardly a bar in the whole of Thailand who will buy drinks for its customers, yet if you go to places like the Philippines, it is a very common practise. It costs so little to get a bit of loyalty but the cheap minded, penny-pinching owners can't see it.

There's loads more - but over to you to add to my list

Cliques of me''n in bars who go there every day and look daggers at anyone new who happens to wander in. If this isn't bad enough, almost invariably the owner and bar staff are equally unfriendly - almost as though they don't want your custom. Maybe they don't''

You mean like The Fisherman's?

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Serve Popcorn people get thirsty and order more drink, cheap enuf to throw away, so not to contaminate with urine soaked fingers...

Yep, what I said earlier. It stops folk from rushng off too if they are hungry.

Not sure why the OP assumes you all have to share the snacks..it's not diffulcult.

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Decided name is fine considering it's Thailand where brand names are completely useless. One name to another is just a name unless a theme which I've only seen a very few in BK...e.g. the Ice Bar or Hollywood club.

Another problem is it's Pattaya, so no one cares about the name just the girls. Just call it the bluish-green bar on the corner with the little red lights flashing on the roof.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

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Good luck on getting good staff. I think you have to really train them, taking maybe a day to run through all the things you want them to do right. Then you will have to watch them like a hawk, changing bad habits and improving their service with tips and hints. At the same time, treat them with respect, not be a tyrant.

In this regard, improve hygiene. One thing that bugs me is sending a waitress back to the bar to get me lime for say a San Mig and she comes back holding the quarter lime with her, I'm guessing, fingers that have been everywhere around the bar and toilet. Why not bring a bowl of them; saves trips and contamination. Or fetching a single toothpick in her well travelled hands. Hygiene needs to be taught and reinforced. And anyone just handling cash should not be touching food or drinks. Of course, most bars don't come anywhere close to these standards.

Another thing I see happening all the time is the waitress that has to make two trips to the table: one to bring the drink/food, then go back and bring the chit. Why can't that be done in one trip? This is less disturbing to customers too.

Which brings me to the last item: You will need a trustworthy cashier whose only job is to be cashier, not serve drinks. Doing both jobs can lead to the temptation to not ring in drinks and keep the cash. If she's good, you need to pay her more. But you still have to watch her. I know a 24H bar where when the manager goes home, the bar is covered by CCTV cameras through which the manager can check from time to time.

That's enough I guess.

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Good luck on getting good staff. I think you have to really train them, taking maybe a day to run through all the things you want them to do right. Then you will have to watch them like a hawk, changing bad habits and improving their service with tips and hints. At the same time, treat them with respect, not be a tyrant.

In this regard, improve hygiene. One thing that bugs me is sending a waitress back to the bar to get me lime for say a San Mig and she comes back holding the quarter lime with her, I'm guessing, fingers that have been everywhere around the bar and toilet. Why not bring a bowl of them; saves trips and contamination. Or fetching a single toothpick in her well travelled hands. Hygiene needs to be taught and reinforced. And anyone just handling cash should not be touching food or drinks. Of course, most bars don't come anywhere close to these standards.

Another thing I see happening all the time is the waitress that has to make two trips to the table: one to bring the drink/food, then go back and bring the chit. Why can't that be done in one trip? This is less disturbing to customers too.

Which brings me to the last item: You will need a trustworthy cashier whose only job is to be cashier, not serve drinks. Doing both jobs can lead to the temptation to not ring in drinks and keep the cash. If she's good, you need to pay her more. But you still have to watch her. I know a 24H bar where when the manager goes home, the bar is covered by CCTV cameras through which the manager can check from time to time.

That's enough I guess.

I agree with your last sentence.

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One tip...give your punters some peanuts and crisps, trust me this does work!

Never, ever play "Hotel California."

Some good tips, although the problem with peanuts and crisps (from a punters point of view) is that such food in bars have now been found to often have a high concentration of urine - put there by punters who take a leak and don't wash their hands, Anyway, I won't be eating them....

I opened this thread to get opinions on the bar name, and frankly, I feel it has probably run its course.

However, I am happy to continue the thread if anyone else wants to contribute some more name suggestions, but it occurred to me that maybe we can broaden the thread to include tips/advice on how to run a good bar. Or alternatively, what turns punters off a bar?

I will get the ball rolling with:

Bad, uninterested service, by lazy, slovenly staff with a very bad attitude. How often have I been in a bar and been largely ignored by what is sometimes quite a bevy of girls sitting in the corner and chatting, playing with their phones or playing games. Even if i get served reasonably promptly, they then scurry away and never linger to check if I may be interested in a chat or buying them a drink.

I have seen this happen on countless occasions not only to me but by men who come into to a bar alone, are ignored after they order their beer; so they down their beer as quickly as possible and then leave - never to return.

Since stopped drinking alcohol, I have taken to drinking Diet Coke and orange juice in bars. Once served, I find that nobody ever asks me if I want another drink. I have frequently sat in bars for 2 -3 hours and only ever had 1 glass of coke, because nobody has bothered to check and see if I want another one. It benefits me, but at the same time it irritates me that the staff can be so inattentive.

Cliques of men in bars who go there every day and look daggers at anyone new who happens to wander in. If this isn't bad enough, almost invariably the owner and bar staff are equally unfriendly - almost as though they don't want your custom. Maybe they don't....

Inability to understand simple drinks orders and get your drinks mixed up and/or put your bill in the wrong cup etc.

Loud, inappropriate music. I would venture to guess that the averege age of punters on the Darkside is over 50. this being so, they have little or no interest in the latest mind-blowing hip hop and mind-blowing, 'boom boom' music that almost shakes the bar to its foundations. Most punters come for quiet chat, and I can't count the number of time I and others have left basr because we can't hear ourselves speak. Even polite requests to trun the music down a little are usuallly met with blank stares. And i am not talking go-go and disco-type joints that cater for the younger crowd, just your regular beer bars with a few old stagers whiling away their days.

Bad , cheap speaker systems are another pet hate. The owners spend fortunes on every aspect of their bar décor, yet they purchase the cheapest, smallest, tinniest sounding systems they can find.

Treat your best customers well, and even buy them an occasional round of drinks. It will pay in the long run and make your customers feel good. There is hardly a bar in the whole of Thailand who will buy drinks for its customers, yet if you go to places like the Philippines, it is a very common practise. It costs so little to get a bit of loyalty but the cheap minded, penny-pinching owners can't see it.

There's loads more - but over to you to add to my list

Cliques of me''n in bars who go there every day and look daggers at anyone new who happens to wander in. If this isn't bad enough, almost invariably the owner and bar staff are equally unfriendly - almost as though they don't want your custom. Maybe they don't''

You mean like The Fisherman's?

I don't know about Fishermans. I haven't been in there for years, but these days it seems to have a fairly decent level of custom, (I pass it regularly),with plenty of couples and even families at the tables eating and drinking.

Historically, it did have very bad reputation and the bar was literally empty for years.

I can only assume that the new manager is much better than the old one... how long is it since you tried it out again?

There are quite a few around of the type I am referring to, but I'm not about to name names. To be fair, it is more down to the regulars rather than the staff, but IMO a good manager should be always on the look out for new customers and go out of his way to make them welcome- especially if the bar is a bit 'cliquey'.

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Good luck on getting good staff. I think you have to really train them, taking maybe a day to run through all the things you want them to do right. .......

Thanks, some good stuff there.

The hygiene thing isn't something I'd thought about too much and gives me food for thought.

There will be a 'soft' opening and I won't be promoting the place or trying hard to get customers until I am satisfied that the staff are working well and the bar is as I want it to be. I'm not going to ruin this venture for the sake of a few days - or weeks - of 'running it in'. This is long term venture. When all is well I'll make a big announcement and maybe even have a party..... (I hate partiessad.png , but needs must...)

I won't be telling the staff anything directly, as it will all be passed on via my GF who is a very pleasant, easy going lady but can be very can be tough if she needs to be. She is also very smart. However, I speak quite passable Thai (and they know it), so there won't be much going on that I won't know about.

It never ceases to amaze me when I go into bars and see the girls running rings around the farang owners and openly ripping them off, and they have no idea because they don't speak the lingo. The stories I could tell...

My GF will be the cashier for 90 % of the time and when she is absent, her aunt will step in - both of whom I have found 100% trustworthy. In any case, I will be buying a POS till system which will greatly reduce the risk of anyone cheating.

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Serve Popcorn people get thirsty and order more drink, cheap enuf to throw away, so not to contaminate with urine soaked fingers...

Yep, what I said earlier. It stops folk from rushng off too if they are hungry.

Not sure why the OP assumes you all have to share the snacks..it's not diffulcult.

I'm not against the idea, I too used to like something to munch on in my drinking days.

Maybe the best idea is to make a point of removing the nuts when a customer leaves and throw them away, but it doesn't stop a group of people all putting their hands into the same nut bowl....we've all done it.

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Keep the beer fridge running over night. So many bars around the lake used to turn off the beer fridge at night thinking they were saving money. If your early in the bar it's warm beer or icecubes!

I agree and I know how difficult it is to keep beer ice cold in this climate.

I can't imagine anyone being stupid enough to turn the refrigeration units off overnight..... but I will make sure someone doesn't try to help me save money in the wrong way....

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Good luck on getting good staff. I think you have to really train them, taking maybe a day to run through all the things you want them to do right. .......

Thanks, some good stuff there.

The hygiene thing isn't something I'd thought about too much and gives me food for thought.

There will be a 'soft' opening and I won't be promoting the place or trying hard to get customers until I am satisfied that the staff are working well and the bar is as I want it to be. I'm not going to ruin this venture for the sake of a few days - or weeks - of 'running it in'. This is long term venture. When all is well I'll make a big announcement and maybe even have a party..... (I hate partiessad.png , but needs must...)

I won't be telling the staff anything directly, as it will all be passed on via my GF who is a very pleasant, easy going lady but can be very can be tough if she needs to be. She is also very smart. However, I speak quite passable Thai (and they know it), so there won't be much going on that I won't know about.

It never ceases to amaze me when I go into bars and see the girls running rings around the farang owners and openly ripping them off, and they have no idea because they don't speak the lingo. The stories I could tell...

My GF will be the cashier for 90 % of the time and when she is absent, her aunt will step in - both of whom I have found 100% trustworthy. In any case, I will be buying a POS till system which will greatly reduce the risk of anyone cheating.

I concur with the girls ripping the farang over off....I have a friend who has a pal who has had a bar in Khon Kaen for a number of years (a scouser) he told me recently that his mate found out that his staff has been ripping him off...the only thing I could muster form my mouth was 'your mate sounds like a bit of an idiot'

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BTW, PP, I am definitely planning to have CTH football etc, providing the cost doesn't send me into premature bankruptcysmile.png

One of the many strange things I've noticed - especially on the Darkside, is that very few bars even bother to advertise the fact that they have live sport on any particular day. They pay out all that money to get it hooked up, and quite often they don't even bother to turn it on... crazy eh?

I'll never forget going into a bar one day and all the girls were watching a Thai movie. Then another customer arrived and asked if he could watch the open golf which was on another channel. I didn't even know they had the golf ,as I too enjoy watching golf occasionally. The cashier begrudgingly switched channels, but when the customer left half an hour later, they immediately turned back to the Thai move, even though they knew full well I was also watching the golf.

I could have complained, but preferred to pay my bill and leave - never to return.....

Also one of the things that aggravates me more than anything is when the girls are all watching an English language movie on the bar TV. There is no sound as they are playing music cd's but they can read the Thai sub-titles so they know what's going on.

Unfortunately my linguistic skills don't stretch to reading Thai. If the staff are really into the movie, they will completely ignore you. Anyone else experienced this?

I remember explaining all this to a bar owner one day and he said, 'yes you're quite right' and made the girl turn the TV to a music channel.

The next day they were all watching the farang movies again....

(To be honest, this happens much more in Bangkok than Pattaya)

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BTW, PP, I am definitely planning to have CTH football etc, providing the cost doesn't send me into premature bankruptcysmile.png

One of the many strange things I've noticed - especially on the Darkside, is that very few bars even bother to advertise the fact that they have live sport on any particular day. They pay out all that money to get it hooked up, and quite often they don't even bother to turn it on... crazy eh?

I'll never forget going into a bar one day and all the girls were watching a Thai movie. Then another customer arrived and asked if he could watch the open golf which was on another channel. I didn't even know they had the golf ,as I too enjoy watching golf occasionally. The cashier begrudgingly switched channels, but when the customer left half an hour later, they immediately turned back to the Thai move, even though they knew full well I was also watching the golf.

I could have complained, but preferred to pay my bill and leave - never to return.....

Also one of the things that aggravates me more than anything is when the girls are all watching an English language movie on the bar TV. There is no sound as they are playing music cd's but they can read the Thai sub-titles so they know what's going on.

Unfortunately my linguistic skills don't stretch to reading Thai. If the staff are really into the movie, they will completely ignore you. Anyone else experienced this?

I remember explaining all this to a bar owner one day and he said, 'yes you're quite right' and made the girl turn the TV to a music channel.

The next day they were all watching the farang movies again....

(To be honest, this happens much more in Bangkok than Pattaya)

Thai tv in a bar is a big no no, it's either sport, music, or worst case a film.

It's due to laziness I assume that most bars don't advertise sport, although you do still see it advertised at some bars..and around the lake too...

What about 'special's? eg one night where beer is 50 baht all night, or on selected beers only?

Good point you made earlier about buying your punters a beer sometimes, people appreciate that.

IMO it's better to do that once they have been there a while instead of at the beginning.

Have you observed this pheonominan on the DS where a lot of punters just drop off for ONE beer only?

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What I noticed in the Philippines was that sometimes they would buy you a round when you had been in a few times, but on other occasions, I think they just sized you and maybe your friends up, and if they decided you may be spending a bob or two, they'd come over an buy a round on the house, but not before you'd already dipped into your own pocket once or twice.

Some of the bars in Angeles City that are managed by Americans are often well run places and they know what they are doing. The ones I came across run by Brits were not so well run... but that is just my impression.

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Decent measures. I don't know exactly what those tiny conical shot measures hold, and most times they are not full in any case. Get yourself a reputation for selling proper measures of spirits.

I hate to see bars using jiggers, most Hotels in the states use them, a huge turnoff , unless staff has a heavy hand, use the count method , 1001, 1002 is a full shot, I was a bartender for years, in the states at ur local bar usually 3rd or 4 is on the house, unless it's a chain restaurant bar, btw, Good Luck Mobi, I'm jealous, moving to Pattaya for the month tomorrow, if ur open I ll stop by... Edited by Dannyboy6
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