After 9 months of Guess - what would you do?

[Snick]

I was thinking about suggsting a Wii -- but that seems like it would quickly get too crazy/dangerous even for my tastes. But you can always borrow my Twister set.

If I remember correctly the pool table idea is there, so you don't have to pay the "You don't have a pool table fine" -- Seriously.

[Road Runner]

I am a very infrequent visitor so I have never found the music level a problem.

I do like the lounge bar format and I think the present room is about the right size for the lounge section even allowing for extra customers later.
I think a pool table would be an asset and has been mentioned above put it in the section at the end of the entrance hall.

Maybe with the music system if it were possible to put the speakers around the present stage and keep the bar end as the quieter area.

One thing that I do remember from a bar that used to be near Sukumwit Soi 10 was a TV room.
It was a darkened room with a big wide screen TV in with cable or satellite for the sports events.
It also had similar sofas to those that are presently in the Guess bar.
If there was nothing of interest on the TV  (or even if there was   )  you could take your young lady in there and get to know her better.  
Maybe that is a thought for a later extension.

RR.

[harris11]

Happy wherever Fern is, do what you like but like bar as is it . hey, if if aint broke dont fix it

[moe666]

9 months is very young for any business. Many businesses have went tits up after a move or ill advised expansion or both.

Reveue the long term business plan, is our customer base what we want do we want a different mix, do we sacrifice our present base for a different one. There are many things to consider.

From reading the many post on this forum I have the feeling that if changes were made that did not continue the present atmosphere or brought in a new customer base ( free spending asians) the Guess would be dead as it is known and become just another ladyboy bar.

Good luck it is hard to grow and keep the old style and old customers.

[nigel69]

I have visited there and I would suggest you stay there, if future rental is acceptable.
It is close to Nana, for those that wish to have a good look around, yet far enough away, if that is your preference.
It is close to lb friendly hotels.
It is close to reasonable food.
If you were able to expand then you would have more room for the clientelle and the idea of seperate/almost seperate areas for pool tables,etc just adds to the amenities.
For us perhaps the bigger you are the more talent you can attract.

[Stewart]

Seems to me that Guess has got a lot of the 'soft' things right ie the girls are happy which spills over into their interactions with customers, the ambiance, the customer service

Those are the hardest parts to get right, but are the parts that bring in and retain the customers.

Might be a big risk to assume you can get all that right again in a new place

[Stewart]

The Asian question is more complex - by their nature, Japanese customers tend to be slow to migrate to a new bar - a bit like doing business in Japan - it takes time to build up credibility in their book. However if anyone knows of any sites or forums (probably in Japanese) like this one, feel free to post the details here or in a PM to me.

I think you will really struggle with this (he says with zero experience of running bars in Thailand)

When the Japanese go into Obsessions, or wherever, they see an environment they regognise and are comfortable with.

When they look in the door at Guess, they see a group of white guys sitting or standing at the bar talking or watching TV. A 'western' pub environment. I can't see them being so comfortable with that

[Guest]

Without have been there I would say to stay where you are. Moe666 brings up a good point about businesses making ill advised moves.

If you expand great but if not then stay small. You will attract less attention from the local mafia. I am sure everyone at Nana and the local mafia knows about the bar but as long as you are not making a serious dent in their business they have no reason to bother you. Once they see their take fall then they will be looking for a cut from you to make up for their loss.

Maybe you can offer a low rent increase in exchange for painting the hallways.

[qwerty]

as for attracting the japanese customers, yes it would increase business/profits for jay i reckon. but for my own selfish reasons i'm not going to offer any help on how to do this!

[EyeMahk]

(Stewart @ Jul. 16 2007,08:53) When the Japanese go into Obsessions, or wherever, they see an environment they regognise and are comfortable with.

When they look in the door at Guess, they see a group of white guys sitting or standing at the bar talking or watching TV. A 'western' pub environment. I can't see them being so comfortable with that

This is 1000% correct. The target of Guess Bar is not Asians and it would be very difficult to be attractive to Japanese customers. Look at Rainbow I in NEP. 95% asians inside. That is what they like. Although you see a few western faces in predominantly Japanese hangouts, you rarely see a few Japanese faces in predominantly Western hangouts.

Now throwing in the ladyboy aspect might change things a bit, but it is easy for a Japanese guy to walk into the NEP like everyone else and then head towards Rainbow I and at the last minute walk into Obsessions!

[stogie bear]

Maybe with the music system if it were possible to put the speakers around the present stage and keep the bar end as the quieter area.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has a comment about the loud music.

So it stays loud so the girls don't get sleepy, eh? Hmmm... They seem to be pretty alert when a customer walks in!

The music issue seems to be more important than bar owners seem to think. The Thai attitude of 'the louder the better' does NOT work with farangs and especially the age group of farangs that like ladyboys and go to ladyboy bars.

Why not just give the fucking girls iPods and leave us fellas in peace!

Seriously - disconnect the speaker aimed directly at the bar. That just makes no sense at all. Or at least aim it at the couch where all the lbs are preening themselves.

Club 131 has the music aimed at the dance area and the bar is much quieter. The Guess Bar could easily do this.

[PANICOS]

Leave it where it is, people started to know the place and they all liked it,and until now none of them said anything about the location.If i remember many liked it
because it was not by he nana plaza but a bit away.
And i think that the place is so nice and private,it relaxes you,sorry but i think that puting a pool table it
will take away that carisma the club has...anyway i wouldnt if i was the owner,instead i will try and get some more beauties in there....but i am not the owner.But whatever jay does i am with her and i will always be their customer wherever they go or do with
the club.

[Guest]

Let it where it is as otherwise I will have to walk to far to go

In all seriousness I think leave it for now as the only reason I can see to expand is to fit more girls in and I think you could fit a few more in now without doind that. Moving is a bad move as you might lose some of your existing customer who take time to find the new place, the rents would probably be much higher and so would need to make that up with higher prices for the customer again maybe losing customers.


I do agree about the music volume though somtimes and it is hard to hear near the bar. So a compromise on that would be good

[daveduke007]

(ozzie @ Jul. 17 2007,01:37) Let it where it is as otherwise I will have to walk to far to go    

And for the girls to come and do your washing

[qwerty]

there's been so much talk on this forum about daytime LB action and LB massage, that one could conclude that if jay wanted to broaden her offerings (so to speak) she could open a lunchtime LB massage room. i'd probably go 3 times a week as lunch is one of the only times i can be unaccountable to my office and my wife!

or if massage was too much a deviation, just getting a lunch -hour crew in would be great.

as of now, i believe its open at 2 or 3 somebody correct me pls. but that magic lunch hour....