A turning level in Andrew Li’s profession was, as one may count on, on the top of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the primary to shutter with the least subsidies granted, the leisure/nightlife sector appeared just like the little one no person wished. But, the revelation of how nowhere else on the earth would the federal government even support a nightclub evoked a brand new sense of possession and willpower.
This yr, the homegrown powerhouse is getting ready to its most bold transformation up to now — simply forward of its thirty fifth anniversary. The group’s CEO advocates a powerful workforce that’s passionate in regards to the imaginative and prescient and adept at executing its methods. Having himself labored his approach up from the entrance desk, Li now prioritises making certain an optimum state exterior workplace hours to cope with the crucial enterprise choices once they matter most.
Day by day morning meditations, additionally a by-product of the pandemic, are key to better psychological readability to finest deal with the workload. The 43-year-old is obvious on demarcating his private {and professional} functions; a disassociation not essentially practised within the early years. At present, beginning a household and maybe chasing that Michelin nod are the respective targets. Tenderly tethered to a high-profile fiancée (whom he allegedly attracted together with his Dutch courage-induced dance expertise) and two lovely canines, Li solutions our greatest Zouk questions brazenly.
We solely keep lengthy in a vocation we’re enthusiastic about; what’s it about nightlife that resonates with you?
ANDREW LI: I feel life is manufactured from reminiscences. Whenever you look again, it’s actually these core reminiscences that make you who you might be. Leisure performs a major position in constructing that. Whenever you go for an evening out, you’ll often be round folks that you simply need to be with. With or with out alcohol, you’re almost definitely having a good time with the music and the environment. Zouk is only a platform the place you convey these folks collectively, making a group that performs a component in forming core reminiscences and experiences that you simply’ll bear in mind for a really, very very long time. Even for myself, I’ve core reminiscences of Zouk after I first joined. At ZoukOut, I bear in mind seeing 20,000 folks on the seashore dancing to 1 DJ. Then we see dawn arising, and it’s similar to, wow, it is a snapshot of a second in time. The power of everybody form of flows by you as nicely.
In your time right here, when was the second you felt like what you had been doing was actually gaining traction?
AL: Whilst I got here right here, Zouk was a particularly robust model. To reverse that query, after I heard about how a lot folks talked about Zouk and the way vital it was to the tradition. I might take the taxi to work [years ago], and the uncle would all the time discuss Zouk and all of the humorous tales he had from there. All walks of life have skilled it. It made me really feel galvanised to verify I put a lot effort into this model as a result of I actually need to proceed this and make it even greater. I felt like there have been a number of expectations on the position that I used to be entering into as a result of it was so sentimental to folks. So I hope I’ve executed first rate job within the final 10 years. Zouk is way greater than one particular person, and so long as persons are proud about what we’ve executed with the model, I feel I’ll be proud of that.
What’s a definite reminiscence of clubbing that isn’t in Zouk?
AL: The primary membership I went to in Las Vegas blew me away. The entire metropolis itself is about extra, proper? They had been actually good at treating you want a king there. Making you are feeling like you would do nearly something if you happen to had the cash to pay for it. In fact, that’s not the kind of enterprise mentality I need for our group, however I do really feel that as a result of the competitors there’s so fierce, they needed to have that sort of service to outlive in fairly a cutthroat market. If you happen to e-book a desk, you may have this huge bouncer there for you. If you happen to go to the bathroom, he’ll be pushing folks out to clear the best way for you. It was fairly harsh, however you are feeling very particular. They took it to the intense, and that was one thing I had by no means skilled earlier than. So after we opened in Las Vegas, we wished to take the nice half, which was the good service and hospitality, however perhaps not a lot the I’m-trying-to-squeeze-every-dollar-out-of-you-till-you-have-no-money-left.
What was your most expensive mistake… or finest enterprise lesson, to border it optimistically?
AL: The omakase restaurant. Throughout COVID, I bear in mind desirous to eat omakase, however we couldn’t fly out or get a reservation for six months as a result of everybody couldn’t journey both. So I am going, nicely, let’s open one up. Clearly, 100 folks and I had been pondering the identical factor as a result of a number of omakases opened in the identical interval. By the point I satisfied the proprietor to do the enterprise, it was already on the tail finish of COVID. You couldn’t do a correct opening when you would solely have two pax seated subsequent to one another. And after we might absolutely open to the general public, you would additionally fly overseas. Everybody was like, “May as nicely go to Japan”, so all of the omakase eating places closed down, and we had been one among them. We needed to study that even when it felt like the proper time then, it doesn’t imply it’s the proper time for the subsequent few years. That was a studying expertise, a painful one at that.
Hindsight is 20/20. Timing isn’t one thing you would have identified.
AL: I might have waited it out. However yeah, I didn’t understand how lengthy the lockdowns had been going to final. Timing and a little bit of luck are wanted to know when to enter a market. Rolling with the punches is vital for staying in it. I all the time inform the workforce, “I don’t thoughts making an attempt 50 concepts, simply don’t are available in right here and provides me excuses about why one thing doesn’t work. As a result of meaning we’re not doing something.” We had so many concepts on the desk throughout COVID to the purpose the place a number of them don’t make sense. However, a minimum of, the workforce was pondering, then two or three of the 100 concepts truly ended up working, and helped save many employees jobs as nicely.
What’s one loopy concept that didn’t occur?
AL: Oh, the grocery store thought. My thought was to show Zouk right into a grocery store as a result of that was the one place you would go to [during the pandemic], they usually had been all the time packed. However the price of constructing the refrigeration house was actually costly. So we ended up being a spinning studio as a substitute as a result of everybody was spinning like loopy at the moment anyway. It was when, just like the omakase eating places, there was a brand new spinning studio each week. Fortunately for us, they only needed to put the bikes in.
A grocery store would have been cool. You are available in, and it’s simply partitions of bathroom paper.
AL: Yeah, I don’t know why that was what everybody was hoarding. However I bear in mind difficult the workforce to not consider Zouk as a membership. Consider it as an enormous black field. What can we do about it proper now that’s going to make sense for the enterprise? A resort could be one thing I’d like to embark on whereas I’m nonetheless right here. It’s an ecosystem, getting all these ideas that synergise with each other, and the final stage the place they fall asleep. It captures the particular person’s total day.
It wouldn’t be very price it for the buyer as a result of they solely get one hour of sleep in any case that clubbing.
AL: We would present late checkout to allow them to seize a chew at one among our eating places after (laughs)
Your ideas on the Gen Z pattern in direction of low-ABV/sober clubbing?
AL: Curiously sufficient, I did converse to a number of the alcohol suppliers, they usually had been telling me that consuming hasn’t actually decreased. What’s taking place is that persons are buying and selling down by way of what they’re consuming. Don’t get me unsuitable, there’s undoubtedly a health-conscious wave occurring, nevertheless it’s additionally as a result of the price of going out and consuming is simply too excessive for them. One factor we did that was fashionable was providing low cost free-flow at our bar, RedTail. Quickly, the scholars came upon, and it bought fully packed.
How do you see the way forward for nightlife in Singapore?
AL: I personally really feel very bullish about it since we’re investing in a multi-million greenback renovation. Our final yr in 2025 was simply nearly as good as 2024. I didn’t see a decline. If something, I really feel there’s going to be an incline simply because, hopefully, with a number of the macroeconomic elements like decrease mortgage and rates of interest, folks may have a bit extra spending energy, they usually’ll be capable to exit. Proper now, you’re both an enormous membership or a small, intimate lounge; those within the center may discover it a bit tougher. However the way forward for nightlife in Singapore, I personally suppose, goes to be fairly vibrant.
This interview was edited for size and readability.
This text was written by Pleasure Ling and was first seen on Esquire Singapore.
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