Pubs in Mumbai get image makeover as they target specific groups like teenagers

Most teenagers find it convenient to party at the afternoon discos.It's day for night. The sun's blazing outside, but inside it's " cool, man": the lights are dim, the booze is flowing and all conversation is lost as the crowd - mainly teenyboppers fresh out of school and in their trendiest best - dances the afternoon away to blaring music.A few blocks - and hours - away, another place comes to life. But in a different sort of way. Far from the din of the afternoon disco, young couples - this time the 30-plus, rich and upwardly mobile - spend a lingering evening over a couple of tall whiskies as Jethro Tull plays in the background, to be followed by dinner and, maybe, a jive. It's just the kind of place they like to unwind in after another long day spent climbing the corporate ladder.Welcome to Mumbai's new world of niche pubs. You name it and there's a place for you. Once seen as noisy, packed, watering holes open to all and sundry, pubs in the city are increasingly turning "exclusive", targeting specific segments to stay ahead of the rest. Says Sabbha Joseph of the pub Aloha: "The entire pub scene has become more mature and images and concepts are changing."Indeed they are. While some pubs like Madness and Razzberry Rhinoceros cater only to teenagers in the afternoons, others like Jazz by the Bay and Piano Bar prefer to keep them out and focus more on the lucrative 30-plus segment: mainly professionals like chartered accountants, bankers, lawyers, doctors, marketing and media executives. The goal - better business - is the same, only the target clientele is different. The underlying idea: niche marketing makes better sense.Owners of pubs such as Jazz by the Bay and The Cyclone feel teenagers do not have enough money power. In a regular pub, a big group of youngsters, for instance, would hang out for hours, having orderedjust a pitcher of beer. Narendra Malhotra of Leela Kempinski is more specific: "If a teenage couple spends Rs 800 a night, a 30-year-old professional has no qualms about blowing up Rs 3,000." He has the money and would like nothing but the best, be it the liquor he drinks or the snacks that go with it.The upwardly mobile 30-plus don't mind spending money for exclusivity.The ambience, too, matters. Ask Rajan Patel, 34, a senior manager with a financial institution. "Pubs are synonymous with discos," he says. "Loud noise, jammed floors and teenager infested." The exclusive pubs have solved his problem.And there are any number of them - Marine Plaza's Jefferies, The Piano Bar, London Pub, Oasis, RGs, Papageno - all of which have cashed in on the fact that the upwardly mobile want to have a nice time in their own way and have provided them with a "suitable playing field". It's a field that has no place for pesky teenagers.Not that they are complaining. In terms of volume, teenagers comprise the largest pub-going segment, a fact not lost on many pub owners. In the past four months alone, six pubs have started specially catering to students, in the age group of 15 and 20, in the afternoons. Razzberry Rhinoceros, a happening watering hole in Juhu, draws students from nearby Mithibhai, Narsee Monjee and National colleges. Red Indian, an entertainment agency which organises pub parties, sees to it that business is brisk. A 17-year-old outside the disco hands out fluorescent invites to select passers-by, a corner of which discreetly says:" Girls are our guests." Free entry for girls is a ploy used by most of these pubs to lure crowds of teenage boys, many of whom come just to" check out the chicks".There are no freebies at the other end of the spectrum. Jefferies and The Cyclone, in fact, have steep membership fees (Rs 15,000 and Rs 19,800, respectively) which ensure that teenagers keep away. The strategy has worked and the carefully chosen regulars include senior media, advertising and even film personalities. Says The Cyclone's manager Hazel Vie-gas: "We have an image to maintain. So we don't entertain teenagers but are open to more sober, corporate-type executives who can spend and give a touch of class to the pub."Some pubs have steep membership fees to ensure an exclusive clientele.One reason why the niche idea has caught on is that the regular pubs practically have the same decor and are crammed for space. Something executives like Farad Tarepovalla of ANZ Grindlays feel strongly about: "What we are looking for is the pub ambience with some place to sit comfortably. How am I supposed to drink if I have to hold on to the chair all evening?"There are, well, more compelling reasons why the 30-plus crowd gives the teen brigade a wide berth. Says Deepa Ranadive, a 36-year-old doctor: "Have you tried dancing next to a lissom 21-year-old girl? Your partner's eyes are on the young thing, it's embarrassing." For her, the exclusive pub is a great idea: "Now, you don't have to tuck your stomach in and hold your breath to compete with a teenybopper." There are no tucked tummies at the teenage pubs, most of which open around 1 p.m. Students prefer having parties in these discos as they are not allowed to visit them at night. They can have a rollicking time here and go back by six in the evening, with their parents not any wiser. Admits Manisha Gupta, a student:" I visit the discos thrice a week but nobody knows. If they did, I probably would not be allowed out of the house for awhile."The concept has become so popular that even college socials, once held on campus, have now shifted to the nearby disco. Says Fenlon D'Souza, manager of Madness: "Every other day, college students approach us to host parties and college socials." Madness started off three months ago with its noon discos on Wednesdays and Saturdays. But with the craze catching on, it plans to make it a daily affair. It also lets out its premises for college parties and birthday bashes.As long as there are party animals - of whatever age-on the prowl, these watering holes will continue to draw them: some at noon and some at night. And as the pub owners will tell you, you're never too old, and certainly never too young, to rock 'n' roll-with the cash registers ringing in the background, of course. So what's next? A pub catering to the 60-plus?Published By: AtMigration Published On: Dec 29, 1997 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

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Pubs in Mumbai get image makeover as they target specific groups like teenagers

Pubs in Mumbai get an image makeover as they target specific groups like teenagers and the lucrative 30-plus segment to stay ahead of the rest.

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