million. “Skybar provides top notch service,
with world-class entertainment, hosting
well-known international names from the
entertainment industry,” Tambourgi said.
Skybar was ranked best bar in the world in
- 7 Management invested $2.5 million
in the 1,400 m^2 Kahwet Beirut, $1.5 million
in the 1,100 m^2 Antika Bar, and $1 million in
the 300 m^2 Raii. Dina Al Faris, co-founder of
BAU, said that they invested $1.2 million in
BAU Beirut.
YEAR-ROUND HUB
Clubs at Beirut Waterfront cater to clubbers
throughout the year. The management
companies are opening winter and summer
venues so that they can open all year-round.
SKY Management has designed and built
O1NE as a winter venue with a capacity to
accommodate 2,000 clubbers. Skybar is an
open-air venue catering for the summer
season. Skybar can hold up to 1,700 people.
Music Hall was built as a closed and isolated
venue that can hold 800 seated patrons. 7
Management has opened Antika Bar as an
outdoor venue, and Raii as a closed club.
“This is a competitive advantage for the
region, because clubs in other areas, such as
Dora, are summer nightspots,” Fakhreddine
said. BAU, which opened in June on a rooftop,
is planning to open a closed venue for the
winter season. BAU can hold around 120
seated clubbers, and nearly 110 standing.
SUBSTANTIAL ACTIVITY
Nightclubs generally open two, three,
or four days per week, and most of the
time they are fully occupied, according to
the clubs’ owners. O1NE opens on Friday
and Saturday, and Skybar opens from
Thursday till Saturday. “We
are always fully occupied
when operating. Clients are
required to book two weeks
before they get their places,”
Tambourgi said. Antika Bar,
which has capacity for 350
seated clubbers, opens from
Tuesday till Sunday. “We are
fully occupied all weekdays,
and on Saturday we receive
up to 1,000 clubbers,”
Fakhreddine said. In addition
to full occupancy at night, Kahwet Beirut
opens during the day, receiving up to 500
people. “This is maximizing our capacity,”
Fakhreddine said. Even the club owners,
who opened one month ago are satisfied with
the results. “The activity has exceeded our
LEBANON OPPORTUNITIES, AUGUST 2019 53
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L0819-85 Nightlife Tourism: A Blessing
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L0819-87 Contact Informationexpectations. The club is fully occupied, and
a lot of clients are on the waiting list,” Al
Faris said. Many clubbers are in to rotation,
visiting more than one club a night. For
instance, Antika Bar receives clubbers from
10 pm to 4 am, and they move to the after
hour club Raii starting from 12 am till 6
am. Clubs at Beirut Waterfront host both
locals and foreigners. At O1NE, 80 percent
of the clubbers are locals, and the rest are
Lebanese expats. The clientele at Skybar
differs, where 55 percent are locals, 20
percent are foreigners, including Europeans
and Americans, and 25 percent are
Lebanese expatriates. Music Hall receives
a high percentage of tourists, according
to Éléftériadès.OFFERINGS MATTER
Beirut Waterfront caters to an upper-middle
class clientele and delivers a unique nightlife
experience. The average check depends
on whether the guests
are eating, as all the clubs
provide a full dinner menu
and a wide choice of cocktails.
The venues also offer a wide
array of entertainment
activities from wining
and dining to enjoying
cocktails while watching live
entertainment or dancing.
“Our shows are the core
element of our entertainment
with 70 musicians and 15
artists playing music and performing,”
said Éléftériadès. Music Hall attracts
international musicians, artists, and
singers in addition to well-known local
performers. 7 Management hosts different
shows, and famous singers perform live.SKY Management puts effort in to following
trends and plays the latest international
music. The average check at O1NE is $60 per
person. At Music Hall the average ticket is
$80. The average check starts from $60 at
Raii and rises up to $80 at Antika Bar.FINE RETURNS
Most of the club owners agree that the
life span of a club is a maximum of five
years. They set their feasibility studies
based on returning their investment within
two to three years. But some management
chains are working on the sustainability of
their brands. “The company tries to follow
the latest trends and updates, to keep on
developing the brand,” Tambourgi said.
“We are succeeding in this strategy as the
Skybar brand has been operating for 12
years.” The return on investment from clubs
is fast, according to Fakhreddine, but the
operational costs should be well managed.
The average leasing price per square meter
is $350 per year. For a club of 1,100 m^2 an
annual rent of $385,000 is very affordable,
according to Fakhreddine. There is more
potential for Beirut Waterfront to grow
as long as it does not include residential
properties, said Fakhreddine.Reported by Rania GhanemAverage
investment in
a nightclub
in Beirut
Waterfront is$2 million
O1NE Beirut*6=,9:;69@
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