News agency Reuters ran a story in 2008 high-lighting the question of whether Jakarta, South-east Asia’s most populated city, had become the region’s next nightlife capital.
With the opening of the global Buddha Bar franchise, a Paris-based bar and restaurant, in 2008, Jakarta looks set to join some world’s nightlife capitals such as London, New York and Dubai, read the article.
But, is it too much of a stretch to actually name Jakarta the capital of nightlife in Southeast Asia?
“No. The city’s growing market that caters to international communities, including corporations, is one of the reasons why we opened a branch here in 2008,” general manager of IndoChine Jakarta, Oscar Hari Prakoso, told The Jakarta Post recently.
Setting up a new club or bar in the city can be a risky business owing to the city’s growing security concerns in the past 10 years; the latest suicide bombings at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in 2009, for instance, epitomized the city’s continued vulnerability.
“Security was not a major concern when we decided to launch our outlet here,” Oscar continued.
IndoChine Group, an international chain of bar and restaurant expanding across Asia and Europe, is owned by restaurateur Michael Ma, a former Laotian refugee who grew up in Australia before he opening the first IndoChine in Singapore in 1999.
“We recognize the potential that Jakarta possesses, and when presented with an opportunity, it was simply too good a chance to pass up,” Ma said.
In the case of Buddha Bar, despite controversies surrounding its use of the name and symbols of the Buddhist religion, and the use of a city-funded heritage building for commercial purposes, the bar, according to Buddha Bar manager Henry Marheroso, has attracted wealthy clientèle by offering exquisite ambiance and Pacific-rim cuisine.
“The formula is about creating a breakthrough in concepts, as the city needs boundless options to meet the needs of the growing middle-class and expatriate communities,” he said.
Kiki Utara, head of public relations of Ismaya Group, another acclaimed club and restaurant operator in the capital, revealed that most international DJs now choose Jakarta as their first stop in Southeast Asia.
“They give a thumbs-up to the city’s crowd and their enthusiasm. Many, in fact, are also perplexed by how rich some people are here,” he said.
Ismaya Group maintains a number of high-end restaurants and bars, including Dragonfly and Blowfish, the latter of which was recently closed following a brawl in early April in which two people were killed.
According to Kiki, the London-based Ministry of Sound (MoS), a franchise club known for its global dance music scenes that attract foreign DJs, will open in Jakarta under the Ismaya Group next year.
With the anticipated arrival of MoS, Jakarta’s fast-moving nightlife now rivals that of neighboring cities like Singapore, which closed down its MoS franchise in 2008.
Meanwhile, the secretary general of the Indonesian Association of Entertainment Businesses, Adrian Maelite, said the nightlife industry in Jakarta had seen robust growth despite challenges such as rising alcohol and entertainment taxes, as well as electricity tariffs.
“It generates more than Rp 2 trillion [US$220 million] per year in revenue and employs around 700,000 people,” he said. (tsy)
