Universo Bar Closed

[sopranostingray]

Policia Nacional are loading up all the furniture and other stuff at Universo Bar (the old Harrison Jewelers) at this moment. I guess a former business partner put a lean on the bar. In any case, it's done once again. Strike two!

[deezl]

Another one bites the dust.

2-3 months seems to be the average lifespan of a bar in town. If you can make it past that point you must not be broke yet.

Was a nice looking place, too.

[Sidney]

HOO-RAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No mas Hells Angels !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JD426]

was that FANCY NEW bar, where they knocked out the walls and made it all open. right on the corner of rosen and PC across from Bermuda bar ,same side but away from the strip. ?
Guessing it must be.. but didnt they just open that like months ago ?
I never stepped inside to drink, but it looked like a cool bar.. good music,imo.
Didnt know it was a Biker Bar though.
man this town changes a lot recently in just a matter of months.

Another one bites the dust.

2-3 months seems to be the average lifespan of a bar in town. If you can make it past that point you must not be broke yet.

Was a nice looking place, too.

it was a VERY nice looking bar, if its the one im thinking..

To be honest , I was like this place CANT fail, its too cool looking. It will catch on for some niche Group of people.
But then the place across the street from the NG, was like all NASCAR or some cool race car theme, with cool bar stools & TV's and that went Tits up too .. i think.

[j_d66]

That place seemed doomed from the beginning.
Who was going to go there?
Guess we have our answer
No One

[sopranostingray]

To be honest , I was like this place CANT fail, its too cool looking. It will catch on for some niche Group of people.
But then the place across the street from the NG, was like all NASCAR or some cool race car theme, with cool bar stools & TV's and that went Tits up too .. i think.

Same guy at both places. Do you see a pattern?

[sopranostingray]

The closing has nothing to do with the economy or lack of patrons. He was shut down by the Nacional....the story goes deeper.

[deezl]

was that FANCY NEW bar, where they knocked out the walls and made it all open. right on the corner of rosen and PC across from Bermuda bar ,same side but away from the strip. ?
Guessing it must be.. but didnt they just open that like months ago ?
I never stepped inside to drink, but it looked like a cool bar.. good music,imo.
Didnt know it was a Biker Bar though.
man this town changes a lot recently in just a matter of months.



it was a VERY nice looking bar, if its the one im thinking..

To be honest , I was like this place CANT fail, its too cool looking. It will catch on for some niche Group of people.
But then the place across the street from the NG, was like all NASCAR or some cool race car theme, with cool bar stools & TV's and that went Tits up too .. i think.

That's the one. Actually, I think the place across from NG was owned by the same people.

Seems to be a recurring theme here: Places like those two, City Nights, Attitude Bar... They spend (presumably) an assload of money to make these places look really chic and cool as if they're assuming that if the place looks good - customers will follow.

It doesn't work like that. Flow and the Haitian Embassy are holes, Rhumba looks okay but nothing special, D'Latin has a layout cooked up by a retard and the design aesthetic is what I believe would be referred to as 'lumber' - and those places are packed every night.

I think the lesson here is pretty clear and anyone thinking about opening a business in town should take heed: If you don't know how to get the customers in the door then find something else to do with your money.

[weyland]

Flow and the Haitian Embassy are holes ... and those places are packed every night.

If you think very hard you might work out what the Haitian Embassy has got (or got a lot more of) that other places don't have.

[El-Rey]

I ate there twice and it was pretty nice. Full of Canadians but I never hold that against an establishment.

[j_d66]

The formula for success does not seem to be to difficult

Cold drinks at a fair price
Good music
An atmosphere to talk and chillax
Chicas
Chicas
Chicas
Chicas

[BrooklynBeas]

One night in January, El Rey and I were walking by and some guy was outside saying 50 peso cervezas, at first I thought they were charging 50 pesos to enter... We didnt look twice or even slow down and think about it... Some people just have a dollar and a dream and think they can play the dominican lottery with a business.. Not so easy... As someone said in this thread, it didnt come down to that, more inside info that hasnt been released here, or maybe has and I havent seen it...

Either way, I think the saying goes if you wanna make a million dollars in a DR business, you better start out with 4 million and be lucky to leave with a million left... Or something like that...

Too bad they didn't have any chicas there or it may have been a big hit...

[deezl]

The formula for success does not seem to be to difficult

Cold drinks at a fair price
Good music
An atmosphere to talk and chillax
Chicas
Chicas
Chicas
Chicas

and you can pretty much strike everything in that list except chicas.

classico had shitty drink prices, shitty music, and the atmosphere was 'middle-of-the-road club' and was packed on the reg. d'latin is a shitty club with shitty music, and apart from the 100p grandes the drink prices suck.

the chicas will go wherever the dudes are and the dudes will go wherever there are chicas.

if you can get guys to come in and hang out the chicas will follow and vice versa. good drink prices, good tunes and good atmosphere are just the things that we would prefer, but we'll go wherever the chicas are.

if there are hot chicas there then i'll overpay for presidentes while the dj slings air supply jams.

it's ALL about the chicas.

[deezl]

I ate there twice and it was pretty nice. Full of Canadians but I never hold that against an establishment.

They were only eating there because Western Union doesn't serve food.

[streetphd]

Please tell us you are being facetious. Some people may think you are confusing normal Canadians with FRENCH Canadians.

[deezl]

Please tell us you are being facetious. Some people may think you are confusing normal Canadians with FRENCH Canadians.

true, my bad.

that wasn't meant as an insult to men from canada.

just quebecois.

[Apos]

FUCK YOU!!!

They were only eating there because Western Union doesn't serve food.

[Mr. Smooth]

Reading this thread got me thinking. We all read about this bar or that bar closing and offer up our opinions as to why it happened.......lousy music, high drink prices, ugly or a lack of chicas, etc.

I just wonder, has any ISOC member ever opened and successfully ran a bar in Sosua? Not talking about a bar/restaurant or bar/hotel, just a bar. Maybe something on the beach or a place in town?

With all the free advice given, somebody willing to invest some scratch in their own joint should know WHAT NOT TO DO in order to run a successful place. I would think reasonable drink prices, friendly service, good music (not too loud) maybe sports on the tv, and some nice eye candy hanging out would be the ingredients for a successful enterprise. Plus a halfway decent location. I think I just basically described the Shark Bar, but Lou has never been a member here.

Does anyone here have the balls to take that leap of faith on themselves and give it hell trying?

[BorisDaBulletDodger]

Reading this thread got me thinking. We all read about this bar or that bar closing and offer up our opinions as to why it happened.......lousy music, high drink prices, ugly or a lack of chicas, etc.

I just wonder, has any ISOC member ever opened and successfully ran a bar in Sosua? Not talking about a bar/restaurant or bar/hotel, just a bar. Maybe something on the beach or a place in town?

With all the free advice given, somebody willing to invest some scratch in their own joint should know WHAT NOT TO DO in order to run a successful place. I would think reasonable drink prices, friendly service, good music (not too loud) maybe sports on the tv, and some nice eye candy hanging out would be the ingredients for a successful enterprise. Plus a halfway decent location. I think I just basically described the Shark Bar, but Lou has never been a member here.

Does anyone here have the balls to take that leap of faith on themselves and give it hell trying?

I am kinda involved in the industry at least in the US. Owning a bar is a tough brutal business. First off, this is not a business that you can be an absentee owner in. If you plan on never being there, don't invest in a bar, just invest in some lotto scratch off tickets, you might have a better chance of making money. Everyone that works for you is basically stealing from you from the start, and not just cash, it can be giving out free beer or over pouring. Not working, etc, etc. The margins are high but you only have limited time to make that margin.

Even if you are there, not a lot of owners have business sense, and will basically give away all the profits. Some will hire hot slutty bartenders who cannot make a rum and coke, and will never fire them no matter how bad they are. You can TEND a BAR (bar-tend-er) Or be a drink maker, and if you don't know the difference, you should buy a bunch of tickets.

A bar that does not serve food is a big mistake IMO, even if its just food from the deep fryer. After a few beers or cocktails, everyone gets hungry, and why let the customer leave? They can stay, and hopefully order more drinks after and while they eat.

Another thing in Sosua at least, the people with money are dudes. In bars and clubs in the US women are often buying the cocktails, or at least having them purchased for them which are the real money makers like cosmos, appletinnis, shots to get the drunk so hopefully they touch my penis....

This is not the case in Sosua, sure some guys might buy drinks, but some dudes if so, will only buy a presidente. Also there is no kegs in Sosua either.

I personally think if you were to only own a bar in Sosua, you will be basically working for the landlord and presidente.

I have no idea about running a business in the DR, and maybe the owners can, but from what I heard, is it typical practice in the DR to only have 6 month leases?

[ezsmile]

I ate there twice and it was pretty nice. Full of Canadians but I never hold that against an establishment.

Hey watch it! I resemble that remark!