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They are saying to make success out of one thing, you must begin younger. That was what Max Ahmad, the founding father of The Halal Mixologist, did.
From promoting Digimon and Pokemon playing cards to his secondary faculty classmates, to educating tennis as a Junior Faculty scholar, Max knew that he needed to run his personal enterprise someday.
His curiosity in enterprise spurred him to pursue a Enterprise diploma at Nanyang Technological College (NTU), the place he landed his first job on the Singapore Change Restricted (SGX).
Little did Max know that this profession path would quickly change with a seemingly unassuming cellphone name. It turned out {that a} recruiter from Workforce Singapore (WSG) reached out to him for a job interview within the hospitality sector.
Max shared that he initially was not eager, provided that he had already secured a job. Nonetheless, he determined to take a leap of religion. This opportunity encounter opened the doorways for Max to enter the hospitality trade, the place he labored with the Tourism division at WSG.
As a Senior Supervisor, Max labored intently with established trade companions and academies, notably Marina Bay Sands, and the Singapore Tourism Board. By way of this expertise, he not solely realized from trade veterans but in addition honed his management and administration expertise, which is able to turn out to be useful down the highway.
Hanging out on his personal
Max knew that deep down, he nonetheless held onto his entrepreneurial dream, and it was only a matter of time.
At first, he dreamed of getting his personal themed boutique lodge whereas working with meals on the premises. Nonetheless, that additionally meant needing a big sum of cash to be invested to launch and maintain the enterprise.
Therefore, Max determined to finish his six-year stint at WSG and begin small by opening backpacker hostels: Moni Gallery Hostel at Lavender Avenue, and The Shophouse Hostel at Arab Avenue—each of which required decrease funding capital than lodges.
Whereas managing his hostels, Max saved his gears working, arising with new concepts that might deliver one thing distinctive to Singapore’s hospitality trade. He turned again to his experiences for inspiration and remembered conducting conferences at lodge lounges and bars.
“As I don’t drink alcohol, I felt a bit misplaced being in such locations,” lamented Max, and added that he participated in celebrations with a glass of sentimental drink or juice to exchange champagne.
It was additionally at that second that Max seen that the rooftop of The Shophouse Hostel was underutilised. “Why not make it a spot that may generate income?” he stated.
Coupled with a mission to create extra inclusive wine and eating experiences, Max invested S$150,000 of his financial savings and transformed the rooftop area into Singapore’s first halal bar, Atap Bar, in 2017.
He has additionally offered his two hostels to completely give attention to his eating places. As of now, Moni Gallery Hostel continues to be working and The Shophouse Hostel has closed.
At this level, one may surprise how The Halal Mixologist is said to Atap Bar. To place it merely, The Halal Mixologist began as a advertising and marketing software to advertise the bar’s idea.
“What units us other than others is that we’re a halal bar idea with a mission of bringing enjoyable to halal. We consider in delivering a enjoyable and healthful expertise whereas being inclusive.”
Max Ahmad, founding father of The Halal Mixologist
Opening his halal bars was not a stroll within the park
Nonetheless, Max discovered himself getting off to a shaky begin.
Regardless of his background in hospitality, Atap Bar was his first foray into the F&B trade. Consequently, Max skilled many struggles, together with licensing, main as much as the bar’s launch.
The shortage of manpower can be a prevalent downside within the trade, as few harbour the will to pursue a long-term profession in meals—an impediment that Max was all too aware of.
“It was very troublesome to rent the precise folks, and one of many errors we made was hiring the unsuitable individuals who weren’t a great match for the organisation.
Whereas we’re nonetheless going through this downside, now we have managed to incorporate a strategy to determine individuals who would purchase into our mission and values within the choice course of. Having a crew that believes in your mission and the course you might be working in direction of is vital.”
Max Ahmad, founding father of The Halal Mixologist
Max added that as Atap Bar was positioned on a hidden rooftop, it was difficult for the enterprise to achieve a pure footfall. Happily, the bar gained traction amongst Singaporeans after a month of opening.
With a constant stream of consumers, The Halal Mixologist achieved profitability inside seven months and broke even after a yr of operations.
2018 was additionally a yr of change for Atap Bar, because the bar quickly occupied The Nice Mischief, one other cafe in Singapore for 2 months.
Nonetheless, two months after the transfer, Atap Bar closed its doorways, to the dismay of many loyal clients. Max revealed to us at Vulcan Publish that the owner needed to extend the rental by 50 per cent, a price he was not able to bear.
Atap Bar’s closure didn’t discourage Max, as he continued to open extra halal speakeasies: first with Wanderlost Bar in late 2018, and Fairytail Bar slated to open in April 2020.
However the companies hit a sudden roadblock because of the COVID-19 pandemic, inevitably delaying Fairytail Bar’s opening. Max described the Circuit Breaker as a “troublesome time” for his companies, as dine-ins have been prohibited.
Happily, put up Circuit Breaker, each Wanderlost Bar and Fairytail Bar noticed elevated visitors as Singaporeans began to discover extra throughout the nation because of the journey restrictions.
Out with the previous, in with the brand new
If 2020 was the yr of change, 2023 may very well be described as a rebirth for The Halal Mixologist.
The model determined to shut one other chapter with Fairytail Bar, as D’Lodge was slated for renovations. “I assume one lesson we will study from that is that it is very important have management over the lease, so hopefully someday we are going to work in direction of changing into our personal landlord!” joked Max.
Not keen to surrender on the model’s mission, The Halal Mixologist launched two new F&B institutions: Nauti Nauti, a poolside oyster bar; and R.I.B, which presents halal takes on Southern soul meals.
The enterprise additionally ventured into e-commerce with Mockohol, a web based platform aiming to make premium halal bottled drinks accessible to the lots at their doorstep.
With the three fledgling companies, one may surprise how Max balances them altogether.
He elaborated to Vulcan Publish that social media engagement stays essential to selling the model. The Halal Mixologist has since applied a loyalty programme with a reward level system that permits future clients to offset their future payments once they go to their shops.
The Halal Mixologist’s one-of-a-kind bars and eating places not solely caught the eye of Singaporeans but in addition movie and tv giants United Worldwide Footage and Hollywood for the reside film adaptation of the well-loved sport Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).
For a month, Wanderlost was transformed right into a tavern paying homage to the sport, and a brand new menu of themed meals and drinks was created. The bar additionally ran D&D video games to commemorate the film, which garnered a lot love from followers and new clients.
The Halal Mixologist presents new companies resembling mixology workshops and pop-up reside bar stations to diversify their income streams additional and maintain youth growth packages.
Based on Max, the Youth Growth Packages are the proper platform for teens to get hands-on experiences working in bars and kitchens with out dealing with alcohol. By way of this initiative, he hopes to form the longer term era of the halal trade and entice extra expertise.
Regardless of all odds, The Halal Mixologist has developed right into a model that champions inclusivity with their unorthodox halal F&B shops and companies. Wanting ahead, Max goals to solidify their companies throughout the Singapore meals scene.
Max additionally expressed his ambition to go upstream for his companies, the place he can develop his personal manufacturing line and create his halal drinks, which he hopes will grow to be a family model in Singapore.
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Featured Picture Credit score: The Halal Mixologist
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