news article:
Quiet comeback with a small bar
Former Centro boss Michel Lu has new outlet1
CLUB owner Michel Lu has gone from big to small.
From the three-outlet superclub Centro - which closed under a shroud of controversy almost two years ago - he has quietly opened Suba, a small bar tucked away at Millenia Walk, catering to the professionals who work in the area.
But the former Elite Model Management frontman insisted it is not a sign of cautiousness, but a change in perspective.
Big clubs, like Centro at 6,706 sq m, are on their way out, while smaller clubs and bars at between 200 and 400 sq m are in, according to Mr Lu.
Clearly, it's a very different opinion from what he said after the closure of Centro in August 2004.
Back then, he was quoted as saying that he had plans to re-open the club in a different location: 'We'll be back with a bang. We intend to be around for a very long time.'
That was 1 1/2 years ago and no Centro has materialised yet.
'We actually did look around for another location for Centro, but it was hard to find the right space and location,' said Mr Lu, 35.
It is partially due to the fact that he is particular about the spaces he chooses.
'With Lush and Centro, it was all about being close to town but not occupying the main strip.
'Lush was off Mohamed Sultan and Centro was on its own. Besides, you can change the decor, music and concept, but you cannot change the space and location,' he said.
Centro was dogged by controversy in the club's final months before its closure. One Fullerton threatened to sell off its assets when it failed to pay the rent in May 2004.
The club settled part of the arrears and managed to work out a repayment plan, but it was hit by yet another crisis when six Centro employees complained to the Ministry of Manpower about not being paid.
The employees were paid and the club, unable to settle lease agreements with One Fullerton, finally closed down on 14 Aug 2004.
LEFT CENTRO
Even though Mr Lu left Centro in October 2003 and became less involved with the club, he too, was not spared the controversy.
The space where Ministry of Sound now resides was to have been the new home of Centro. But the deal fell through.
Since then, Mr Lu has been focusing on hie family's textile and warehousing business in Hong Kong.
'After a while, I think I mellowed. The idea of working at 4am on a regular basis appealed less to me, so the idea of reviving Centro was dropped. Maybe I am getting old,' he said.
Mr Lu said that the likelihood of him opening another megaclub is next to nil.
Even with Suba, he took his own time.
'Nightlife has always been my passion, and it was nice to finally take my time over this club, without the added pressure of making it work, as it is not my main business,' he said.
Looking back at the decision to close Centro, Mr Lu is not regretful as he said it did not make market sense to keep the club open at a high rental rate.
He admitted that with a rental of more than $200,000, it was sometimes hard to meet payments during the 911 incident and Sars outbreak periods.
The rent arrears occured during discussion over possible rent breaks for the Sars period. Under contract, Centro had to pay about $10 to $11 psf a month. Rental in Mohamed Sultan at that time was between $4 and $6 psf a month.
'Things were blown out of proportion back then. We had a four-month rent deposit with the land owners that could have been taken at any time,' said Mr Lu.
When the Centro management couldn't secure lower rental with One Fullerton, it decided to ship out.
There were no bad debts, according to Mr Lu, as the deposit covered the outstanding rent.
'It was a pity that we could not pull it off as we did some really good parties.
'As a bigger group, we could really take chances holding big events.
'It was the first big club to really give Zouk a run for its money,' he said, adding that the rest of the shareholders were sentimental over the closure of Centro.
24-HOUR LICENCE
He listed the granting of the club's first 24-hour licence with 2003's Party X-Treme, a jazz festival at Fort Canning Inner Grooves in 2001, and the Paul Van Dyk rave at the St James Power Station in 2004 as memorable moments in Centro's history.
Admittedly, there were things that he felt could have been done better at Centro, citing space arrangements and some of the back-end operations that could have been streamlined.
'If there are any outlets at Centro that I miss, it is Lola. It had a Studio 54 vibe which I liked,' said Mr Lu, who said he may bring back the concept some day.
Suba's opening last night makes it
Mr Lu's third nightspot venture, after Lush in 1999 and Centro in 2001.
For now, small bars in out-of-the-way areas will be his way forward. His next bar project, The Hacienda at Dempsey Road, is slated to open in about six weeks, while he has his eye on Greenwood Avenue, off Bukit Timah Road, for a 'Sex And The City kind of bar', catering to working women.
Aussie beer on tap, no dance floor
WALK past Suba and you may just miss it.
Located on the outside of Millenia Walk, it avoids the main shopping strip and faces a fountain and an open courtyard.
There is nothing to tell you where the bar is except a small sign that says 'Suba'. Its windows are covered by grey curtains.
Built at a cost of $400,000, the 762 sq m bar is owned by Mr Lu and four other shareholders, all friends of his.
It is poised to attract the after-work, slightly older professional crowd from the Suntec City area. Since Australians make up a fair percentage of its clientele - the bar had its soft opening in mid-December - it features Victoria Bitter, an Australian beer on tap ($16 a pint).
The furnishings are modern and chic with black barstools and flower motifs on the walls in a dark brown finish.
The bartop has overhanging black chandeliers that reflect light on the copper-wrapped bartop that will oxidise over time to reveal gold finishings underneath, while the metallic-looking ceiling reflects soft ambient light.
Mr Lu's preference now is for bars instead of clubs. Hence, while there is a DJ spinning from a console at Suba, you won't find a dance floor.
'There will never be a dancefloor in my bars. No DJ wants to see the dancefloor empty. If someone comes up to dance, it is a plus,' he said.
Mr Lu calls it 'dance-floor pressure' - the DJ is less likely to be experimental with his music if he thinks he has to always attract people to the dance floor.
Dj Titus spins mainly soul and funk, along the lines of Aretha Franklin and Barry White, while DJ Ramesh, formerly at Lush and Centro, will spin disco and classic house after 10pm.
Said Mr Lu: 'In history, disco evolved into house in the early 1980s. So we're trying to capture that sweet spot when disco was on the verge of becoming house.'
Suba is now open from 4pm to 1am. From Chinese New Year onwards, it will open from lunchtime to 1am. Happy hours are from opening to 8pm.
# Suba: 9, Raffles Boulevard, #01-75a, Millenia Walk.
