Thoughts on smart and not-so-smart marketing techniques at Browns

The new watering hole in town is Browns Bar and Restaurant.

This place is the talk of the town: people mostly love it and believe/hope it's going to be around for a while.

It may, or may not. It is certainly doing some things right, but then again, having seen first hand that 2 friends had bad beer experiences there (on separate occasions), even the smart marketing may not help it.

The good:
1. From the name itself, it is clear what it is: bar first, restaurant second. Well done.
2. Theme nights: Wed is ladies night, Fri is theme night (Hawaii, Irish, even J.Lo!), etc.
3. Imported service staff: waiters from the Philippines, management from UK. The manager did change the bad drinks straight away.
4. Good music!
5. Good ambiance, though have a feeling Danny and Sandy from Grease will walk in any minute.
Decent food

The bad:
There is an empty wine rack in the middle of the main area. This makes me uncomfortable. Why is it empty? Is it that they don't trust us, the customers, to behave, and are afraid we will break, steal, open the bottles? How many people carry a bottle opener with them?
If they were to fill up the wine rack with nice, imported wine, it may actually attract the customers and bring more revenue than just empty, steel skeleton.

The ugly:
As mentioned above, the drinks itself were bad. First time it was just an expired drink or something, and second time it was flat beer "due to gas". How does that work?

Having said that, am now off for drinks at Browns! :)

the more things change...

My new motto is: The more things change, the more they remain INSANE. It is not my own, I think I read is somewhere, but it just kind of rings true, therefore I am adopting it until further notice.

Today I had another encounter with unpunctuality. Had to wait for someone for an hour. The someone was someone VVIP therefore could not just leave, and the meeting went well, it is just that it tells you something, if someone is late for a meeting, an appointment. It tells you about their priorities, and the way they manage time, and even the way they lead their life. To me personally, it feels as if they do not respect your time, and it is just a big alarm bell going on. In the end, time is what you make of it.

Other random March notes. Missed The Harlem Hot Shots, but registered for Rolling Stones concert in Shanghai next month. The Stones were going to perform in Beijing in 2003, but the concert got cancelled due to Sars. :) Now, a new chance at Shanghai's "Wan ren tiyuchang", stadium accommodating 10,000 viewers.

Wish Gwen Stefani can visit China... hella good! :)

serbiancafe.com

having lived so long overseas, i don't have the homesick feeling much. i also belive that "home is where the heart is" and "home is what you make of it", but it is false to say i do not miss my home city, the people, the food and the damned country itself and the rich language. hence, my frequent trips to serbiancafe.com. this little site is a gem. it covers the daily news (domestic and international) as well as current issues and interesting events as interpreted by the locals. it is just like the serbs themselves: full of heart and opinions. :) i love the forums there: they are divided by region and every day the moderators highlight the most frequented postings. there is someone called dzo moler (joe the painter) who's postings i love to read. he writes in such a readable, heartbreaking way, that he is always asked by other serbian cafe visitors to publish his works in a book. but this guy is not out for glory. he describes his postings as "rummblings about common things, by a common person, for common people, who often scold him in return". he writes for comfort and hope, just to give readers a break. he has his morning coffee and logs into serbian cafe.

listenining to serbian music now too.... playing "ona zna" by idoli....