IT'S not only the big boys like The Cannery, St James Power Station and Zouk which are holding all the aces of clubs.
In the last two months, a couple of smaller players have shown that they can land punches too by opening new clubs.
Take restaurant and bar chain Harry's Holdings which has planted yet another Harry's bar-stool, this time in the new, hip Tanglin Village.
Brewerkz, Timbre and Gaelic Inns have also uncorked new outlets to prove that they have more than survived an industry shake-up sparked by the entry of big multi-club players like St James Power Station and The Cannery.
Many clubs have found the going tougher since last year, especially after the $43-million St James opened in September.
Some, such as Thumper, Momo, Q Bar and Father Flanagan's, have given up the fight. Momo went for a revamp and reopened as Velvet Dragon in May, while a new management resurrected Thumper last week.
Even St James' chief executive Dennis Foo was not spared. Devils Bar, owned by him and which has been around since 2001, closed in March this year.
Yet, amid all that bar fight, some have managed to stay on their feet and better economic times have also given them a booster shot.
The nightlife industry is estimated to be worth more than $200 million annually.
"Now, everyone, including expats and tourists, is shouting about how exciting the city is after dark," - St James Power Station chief executive Dennis Foo
Mr Devin Kimble, co-founder and managing director of Brewerkz, observes: "The economy is up, there are more interesting spots opening and the overall confidence level is generally higher."
From its first outlet in Riverside Point, it has gone on to invest more than $1 million in a second branch in the Singapore Indoor Stadium (main picture). The bar in the 250-seater Brewerkz Bar & Grill opened in May and its restaurant followed suit on Monday.
A 2,500 litre-capacity brewery in Kampong Ampat is expected to be ready next week.
"We are serving three times what we served when we first opened in 1998. Brewing capacity has been expanded twice, and each time we thought we could support the demands of the pubs but we couldn't. We can hardly make enough to satisfy just the Riverside Point outlet," says Mr Kimble, 45.
Brewerkz also supplies beer to Cafe Iguana and WineGarage, all at Riverside Point and owned by the same management.
Mr Mohan Mulani, 47, chief executive of Harry's Holdings, observes that "more people are moving into Singapore and more Singaporeans are going out".
He says business at Dempsey Hill has been "very, very encouraging, considering it's a standalone outlet".
Harry's @ Dempsey Hill, which opened on June 26 at a cost of about $400,000, adds to the company's 22 restaurants and bars, a big leap forward from just one outlet in Boat Quay in 2003.
Another outlet in Pasir Panjang is expected to open next month.
Gaelic Inns expanded with a fifth outlet, Durty Nelly's Irish Pub, in Marina Square on June 25.
Owned by two Singaporeans and an Englishman, its other outlets are Muddy Murphy's Irish Pub and Ballymoons Spirits Bar, both in Orchard Hotel; The Penny Black Victorian London Pub in Boat Quay and Scruffy Murphy's Irish Cafe-Pub in East Coast.
And fans of local indie music must have broken out in song when Timbre, based in Armenian Street since 2005, opened a second outlet last month.
The pub spent $200,000 sprucing up a 3,000 sq ft premise, formerly occupied by Q Bar, in the Arts House.
Mr Danny Loong, 35, co-owner of Timbre, notes: "Compared to last year, daily sales have increased by two or three times."
He says business at the new outlet has been good, with a clientele drawn largely from the executives in the nearby business district.
Different vibes
ONE reason these players have not called it a night is that they have wisely stayed out of the path of the giants.
"Ours is a more intimate and casual outdoor setting - a laid-back atmosphere where people can come in shorts and slippers," says Mr Loong.
He adds that Timbre has come to be known as a place where people visit to support local music, unlike other bars where patrons might turn up to watch a particular group.
Most of the pubs belonging to Gaelic Inns draft their uniqueness from being Irish. It spent a seven-figure sum designing and building the entire bar and furnishings for Durty Nelly's in Ireland.
Says Mr Ross Glasscoe, 27, operations manager of Durty Nelly's: "There'll always be a demand for Western-style bars here. There will always be a need for a great place for a pint of beer and great food."
In Brewerkz's case, Mr Kimble explains: "We are more of a beer and restaurant crowd. We have no dancefloor and live music; we're more family-oriented."
At Harry's bars, their service and music variety - from local bands such as Tania and ChromaZone to Malaysian jazz legend Paul Ponnudorai - make for a sound strategy.
Customers toast the staying power of smaller players. As tax consultant Linda Lee, 26, says: "There is a greater choice of places to chill out at, or listen to some live music, after work when you don't really feel like going to a throbbing dance club."
Mr Foo, 53, feels that there is no fear of people getting tired of big clubs.
"It's just like a big concert and a small concert; there will be a market for everybody, especially with the good economy," he says.
The industry veteran adds: "Not too long ago, the word on the street was that there was a dearth of nightlife here. Now, everyone, including expats and tourists, is shouting about how exciting the city is after dark."
