Nitespot with tourism in mind

Kota Kinabalu: A new entertainment outlet, 999 Bar & Bistro in the middle of the city, is offering a new concept of entertainment to complement government efforts to boost the State’s tourism industry.
Its owner Liew Pin Cheong said the three-storey outlet will be featuring traditional and cultural dance performances of local ethnic groups in Sabah in the outlet on a daily basis at night to cater to tourists from overseas and the peninsula.

He said he came up with such concept on noting that tourists are looking for interesting night entertainment, apart from patronising restaurants and outlets to try local food where some would end up going back to their hotels to sleep.

“Hence, I decided to include traditional and cultural dance performances to be featured in the new entertainment outlet situated at the former site of the old Capitol cinema at Kg Air here.

“Then the tourists will get to enjoy seeing and learning the dances and cultural performance featured by our local dancers in the outlet from 8pm to 9pm. After the performances end, they can opt to stay to enjoy our live band and other shows or return to their hotels,” he said.

Liew, who comes from Sandakan, said this to reporters when met at his office in the outlet at Kg Air, here, Thursday.

He said the grand opening of the 999 Bar & Bistro will be today (Friday) at 7pm and it will feature interesting performances for the visitors patronising the outlet.

To a question, he said the outlet will be working with government agencies such as from the State’s tourism ministry and private sector to supply local dancers to perform the traditional dances.

“No one has ever tried this concept using entertainment outlets such as pubs or bars to stage the local and traditional performances in the city here.

“Well, I would not know the turnout and response of tourists and locals until I test and implement the concept.

Nonetheless, I hope to get good and encouraging feedback from public,” Liew said, adding that the outlet has family karaoke rooms which currently are open only to the outlet’s members.

He said it took him three years to fully renovate the old Capitol cinema into a night entertainment outlet.

Source: Daily Express