Interviews by Rui Pastorin
What do people do when the sun sets and the street lamps come alive? When menus change and certain businesses prepare to start their day – or continue it through the night?
The “night-time economy”, or NTE, is described by several online sources as activity taking place between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The things that fall under this range from dining at a restaurant to karaoke and a few drinks at a bar to clubbing and seeing a show or movie, all are enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. Cities across the Chinese mainland and other parts of the world benefit from the positives that a thriving scene brings.
In Macau, there is a wide range of establishments spread throughout the city that cater to these activities. But what is the evening experience like for some of those providing them? The Post wanted to find out more, with two businesses within the local community talking about some of their experiences and challenges.
More money on weekdays
“bookand” is a local business that some readers might be familiar with. Sitting along Rua de Inácio Baptista (鵝眉街), the establishment not only serves as a café and restaurant during the day, but also offers dinner and cocktails at night.
Owner James Wong said that from his observation, his business tends to make more money during the weekdays than the weekends, during which, he said, people might prefer to go to the mainland.
On slower weekends, Wong said that he has seen many establishments offering customers discounts, but this is something he does not really recommend doing as it lowers the margin.
“It costs us a lot, especially on cocktails. So, if we’re doing discounts, it’s not good for the whole business”, Wong said. For his business in particular, hosting events has been a way to draw people at night and during the weekend. “If we have events, then more people are coming”, he said, with the establishment playing host to events from stand-up comedy shows to small concerts and night gatherings.
Music events, in his opinion, are a good way to attract people past 7:00 p.m., particularly jazz-related ones, while cocktails are another offering on the F&B front, noting “probably after dinner, people want to grab a drink”.
For his own business, he thinks holding more events, particularly at the weekend, might be the way to go, adding that he might host more World Cup-related events for this month. Moreover, as businesses like his also face “big competitors” in bars located within integrated resorts, he noted that he will continue to try his best to offer something different, whether that’s through different products, bartenders or hosting more events.
Cautiously optimistic
Sitting along Rua do Almirante Sérgio (河邊新街) is a small local business called Gas Coffee. According to its representatives, business at night has been comparatively lower in the past few years, though they noted that it is slightly better at the weekends.
Giving their overall thoughts, two Gas Coffee representatives told the Post in an online interview: “Macau’s night economy has seen a modest recovery recently, driven by growing tourist arrivals, concerts and weekend pop-up night markets like Hung Kung Market. However, consumption is heavily concentrated at large integrated resorts, while small local shops in the city’s old quarters struggle to attract after-dark foot traffic. Many tourists only stay briefly before heading back to resort areas, leaving community businesses quiet after 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m.”
To change the situation, the representatives highlighted three key areas that, from a small business’s perspective, could be improved, the first being addressing the lack of late-night markets, with current ones closing too early and “cutting off peak family and leisure hours”.
The second comes in terms of support for late night operations by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), noting: “There is little policy support for SMEs that extend late opening hours – high electricity and labour costs make staying open late uneconomical for tiny shops”.
Lastly, improved midnight transit and cross-district marketing would help distribute night spending from integrated resorts into small businesses in historic neighbourhoods, the representatives, who asked to remain anonymous, said. They singled out factors like transportation, parking and clear promotion as important aspects, adding that the likelihood of spending is higher when customers feel that it is worthwhile and convenient to go out at night.
Other ways to stimulate night time spending and create a “stronger evening atmosphere”, they said, are adding more night markets, cultural events, live music and family friendly experiences, while cooperation among business operators could also be helpful.
The Gas Coffee representatives noted that they are “cautiously optimistic” about the future, adding that while the city has strong tourism resources, it should not solely rely on tourists, but also attract local residents. “If the government, businesses, and communities work together, I believe Macau’s evening economy can become more diverse, more sustainable, and more attractive”.
Restaurant staff wait for patrons in the city centre last night. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
