Relaxed rules ‘not a silver bullet’, but a step in right direction, say nightlife businesses

SINGAPORE - Loosened rules for nightlife businesses in Boat Quay and Clarke Quay will give outlets in the area a fighting chance to thrive and opportunities to explore new concepts, industry players said a day after the authorities announced a year-long pilot programme to revitalise the historic district.

Businesses said they welcomed the lighter regulations that will take effect on Aug 18, which will see

liquor trading hours extended to 4am

and allow licences for new nightlife establishments in the area to be issued for the first time in 16 years. Circular Road will also become a car-free zone again on the weekends.

But nightlife businesses in other precincts like Duxton and Tanjong Pagar are hoping that they, too, will get extended liquor trading hours – and sooner, rather than later.

OUE Restaurants chief operating officer Andrew Ing said allowing licences for new nightlife concepts will help inject some much-needed vibrancy into districts around Singapore.

“Local demand has dropped drastically, and we need footfall from tourists who are going to make up for the shortfall... but tourists aren’t going to come here if there isn’t any vibrancy,” said the nightlife veteran of over four decades.

Among those hopeful that the return of pedestrianisation will bring such a vibrancy back to Boat Quay and Clarke Quay is Ms Jenna White, who is group executive chef for Tadcaster Hospitality.

The group runs venues like Irish pub Molly Malone’s, a grandee on Circular Road, one of the main business arteries in the precinct.

“We see it during St Patrick’s Day, which is a huge one (for our businesses) and brings a whole new life to Boat Quay,” she said of the annual March street party held there.

BQ Bar along the riverfront, which has been around for 24 years, also sees a spillover crowd from these street parties. General manager Thinagaran – who goes by one name – hopes they will become a more regular fixture, given the 20 per cent to 30 per cent bump in takings during such events.

While businesses can soon apply to extend their liquor sales hours for Thursdays and Fridays, Mr Thinagaran said the bar is taking a wait-and-see approach for now.

“We don’t want to get the 4am licence and remain open to an empty street,” he said, citing the drastic fall in foot traffic along the riverfront in 2024 and 2025, especially after no-smoking zones were widened and guests could no longer smoke at outdoor tables.

“But with the Formula 1 race around the corner, we will look into whether staying open later will really have a positive impact on the bottom line.”

For venues that fall outside the remit of the relaxed rules, the liberalisation could go further.

This is the case for Mismatch, a bistro along North Canal Road. It will soon be able to apply for extended operating hours, but it is located just outside the zone where businesses can submit change of use applications and proposals for new bars, pubs and nightclubs.

The eligibility for such proposals is limited to the Boat Quay waterfront, Circular Road, Lorong Telok and Canton Street.

Mismatch’s general manager Rebecca Sahetapy said the priority is not extended hours, and the bistro will instead be appealing to the authorities to be run as a restaurant-bar.

“This way, we can apply for things like a public entertainment licence to be able to provide local talent with a place where they can showcase their craft, be it comedy nights or quizzes,” she said.

Beyond the Boat Quay precinct, industry players The Straits Times spoke to also welcomed the relaxation of rules, calling it a step in the right direction, while urging that the pilot be rolled out in other precincts.

“It’s giving the industry an avenue to innovate, and creating an environment that’s conducive for that,” said Mr Indra Kantono, co-founder of the award-winning Jigger & Pony group. “It’s not going to be the silver bullet for sure – as we go later in the night, we still have to think about things like manpower costs, and how partygoers and hospitality workers can get home affordably.

“But the extra hours of operations will bring some much-needed revenue to cover the extra costs, such as rental and manpower, that have risen over the years.”

This sentiment was mirrored by the owners behind Casper, a new bar in Duxton Hill which has been open for five weeks.

They are hoping the pilot will come to Duxton, which is also home to established nightlife venues such as Cat Bite Club and Behind The Green Door.

“Most of our customers are organic walk-ins who come in after 9pm, after their dinner... so being able to open for longer will make a lot of difference to our takings,” said co-founder Lee Rosli.

Mr Ing noted that teething problems with new rules are to be expected, and Singapore has done well at managing disamenity issues in the past.

The authorities had said on Aug 7 that local businesses will take more responsibility for the law-and-order situation in the Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Circular Road areas. This includes stepping up private security deployment and infrastructure security measures.

Singapore River One (SRO), the place manager of Boat Quay, will be hiring security guards to make sure fights, if any, are properly defused, said its executive director Michelle Koh.

This will be funded by the combination of an administrative fee from operators and SRO’s placemaking fee, she added.

Ultimately, it is about keeping the Republic attractive to visitors and competitive in a cut-throat market, said Mr Ing. “If we don’t do more, our neighbouring countries are going to overtake us... Singapore has to remain competitive,” he said.