The Company Savant
They are saying first impressions are highly effective. Wearing a double-breasted blazer, blue trousers and black leather-based footwear, Andrew Ing is the sartorial embodiment of a company gentleman as he makes his method by way of the OUE Eating places Company Workplace on the tenth ground of Singapore’s OUE Downtown 2 constructing. The dial of his Longines Conquest watch peeks by way of the cuff of his button-down diagonal-striped shirt as he extends a hand to greet me. “I’m Andrew,” he introduces certainly and I’m pleasantly shocked as I discover his refined Australian accent. Having loved a night (or three) in HighHouse and Nova, I used to be eager to search out out extra in regards to the area from the person behind it. His polished company apparel stands in stark distinction to the colourful and dynamic ambiance of his work within the nightlife scene, highlighting the varied sides of his skilled identification.
Situated on flooring 61, 62, and 63 of 1 Raffles Place, HighHouse and Nova have rapidly garnered a repute as one in every of Singapore’s must-visit nightlife and culinary locations. Towering excessive (pun supposed) above Singapore’s Central Enterprise District, HighHouse is famed for its unrestricted 360-degree view of the Singapore skyline, immersive eating experiences and enhanced nightlife. HighHouse and Nova purpose to be the amalgamation of luxurious leisure with meals, artwork, music and know-how. Whereas intriguing in idea, would such an idea be sufficient to distinguish itself from the assorted different luxurious nightlife venues in Singapore?
Nightlife Administration Prowess
The years following the COVID-19 pandemic have seen the return of the nightlife and leisure industries. With 40 years of expertise within the hospitality and nightlife sectors, Andrew has change into accustomed to navigating the ups and downs of the trade, significantly inside the final 5 years. With the assistance of his companion Wayne Lee, basic supervisor of HighHouse and NOVA, this luxurious restaurant and bar has efficiently carved its area of interest in what’s arguably an more and more saturated market.
His secret? Understanding nightlife developments, the power to construct a profitable model, and unimaginable consideration to element. “Once we have been designing this area, we wished to make it a spot the place one may go to eat, then have a drink, after which occasion. Whereas it’s extra of a lounge than a nightclub, there may be sufficient area so that you can get up and dance wherever you might be.”
This seamless development from day to night is without doubt one of the venue’s essential USPs, altogether circumnavigating the necessity to segregate lunch and dinner service alongside catering to 3 completely different buyer bases together with those that merely wish to pop in for a night nightcap.
The Satan’s within the Particulars
Other than having a perfect “Instagram-perfect nook,” and having a view that towers properly above the Marina Bay Sands, the true draw of any venue lies in its ambiance — one thing Andrew meticulously crafted. “We designed the sound system to boost the eating expertise,” he explains. “Typically, in eating places, the sound system is an afterthought. The soundtrack may be poor and missing in bass, which detracts from the general expertise. For me, music is an integral a part of the ambiance, whether or not you’re within the restaurant or the membership.”
Andrew acknowledges that his strengths in inside design are centered on spatial planning and logistical concerns that enable for a easy service. He values creating each personal nooks and sociable areas but additionally considers the shopper’s perspective. “For example, I think about the peak of the bar,” he notes. “If you’re standing and leaning, the best top is 1050 mm — not too excessive, not too low. It’s the right top for bar stools and leaning comfortably. And, after all, having a footrest is important — it’s a non-negotiable element for me.”
Andrew additionally emphasises the significance of acoustics in his venues. Observing that onerous flooring may cause sound to bounce and disrupt conversations, he invested within the experience of an acoustic guide. This specialist supplied steerage on the best way to design the area to soak up sound successfully, guaranteeing that conversations stay personal and that noise doesn’t journey throughout the room. “Lots of people don’t perceive the worth of investing acoustic consultants,” he notes.
Noise management and the power to have a dialog in a gaggle setting are elements (I discover) that may make or break an evening out.
Range Pushed Success
Andrew additionally attributes his success within the hospitality trade to adopting progressive human capital practices. An organization apply he was initially shocked by when he first obtained on board. He explains that the corporate’s range begins with its big selection of eating choices. OUE’s portfolio of eating places spans from inexpensive SGD 5 dishes to high-end experiences costing as much as SGD 500, that includes cuisines from Délifrance to the “curious artwork of Japanese Omakase and the whole lot in between”.
This selection contains each halal and non-halal choices, in addition to Japanese, Singaporean, fashionable European, and Pan-Asian choices. Andrew notes that whereas some restaurant teams goal the identical viewers with completely different ideas, his institutions cater to a broad clientele with distinct preferences, guaranteeing that every gastronomic idea appeals past its personal particular demographic.
Furthermore, the corporate’s dedication to range extends to its workforce, “I’ve folks working for us from 18 years outdated as much as 82 years outdated,” he says, highlighting the corporate’s really inclusive method to its workforce.
For Andrew, illustration means greater than having “one auntie” who then turns into a “poster particular person for aged employees” however somewhat about fostering empathy and understanding a person’s distinctive talent set and what they will convey to the desk. “Firms do campaigns on it and it’s like… you don’t have to do a marketing campaign on it. You simply need to do what you’re presupposed to do as a accountable citizen for sustainability, for mature employees, younger employees, no matter”, Andrew laments.
He then delves into his disdain for tokenism saying “Simply f**king do it and shut up. If folks discuss it, allow them to discuss it. However don’t you go and discuss it,” a justified response to the subject of authenticity that I discovered myself silently commending.
Andrew credit his colleague Wayne for each his management and empathy noting that the latter embodies traits Andrew values in management roles. “I need folks on my group who take care of different folks. Numerous different issues like expertise and technique could be skilled, you will get consultants for that. However having empathy in your folks, both you’ve got it otherwise you don’t. Wayne’s performed an important job in bringing the group collectively and it’s not a simple factor to do. He matches into the tradition of what I wish to have at OUE eating places,” shares Andrew on the pair’s skilled dynamic.
Learn Extra: Wayne Lee, Common Supervisor of HighHouse and NOVA
Level of Differentiation
I used to be nonetheless inquisitive about why Andrew selected to spend money on an idea like HighHouse to which the previous marketeer and entrepreneur merely said “Effectively, everybody all over the world loves a rooftop bar.”
Relating to competitors from different nightlife institutions and what they’ve to supply, Andrew doesn’t examine himself however merely says, “we’re in a recognised location providing a mix of various issues in an area that may match one group or ten.”
Past the meals and repair, there may be additionally the music — an space which Andrew has made intensive efforts to supply regional and Worldwide skills alongside curating a DJ deck and the digital paintings displayed across the DJ sales space. Recognising the influence of know-how on music consumption and the way it has modified the way in which people eat media, the entrepreneur brings a holistic method to his spatial curation.
Apps like Apple Music and Spotify have formed the way in which listeners interact with music at the moment, making it extra homogeneous throughout the Southeast Asian area. As an alternative of permitting this to dictate his method to music inside the nightlife scene, Andrew prides himself on adapting to it, noting that there’s a vibrancy in each metropolis. It could possibly be lots smaller and much more underground, however it’s there. Referencing his choice for visiting his personal bars and eating places, “I set (the usual for) the bar, have a drink, and hearken to good music. It takes one thing particular to get me to another person’s bar or membership in Singapore today as a result of I simply can’t be bothered.”
Lastly, I used to be keen to search out out about probably the most rewarding side of his work, each as chief working officer of HighHouse and NOVA in addition to all through his profession in nightlife and hospitality. “Watching folks develop and develop,” he says referencing his group of roughly 400 members of workers.
“I’ve touched lots of people and never in biblical method, however I’ve linked with folks over time and watched them develop,” he notes earlier than mentioning how those that have expertise working within the service trade make the most effective clients as they’re hardly ever impolite or demanding in direction of service workers.
He additionally cheekily provides, “there’s my story. You’ll be able to inform Lawrence Wong to interchange two years of Nationwide Service with one adopted by a 12 months in a service function for a restaurant. So other than having the ability to defend the nation, they’re additionally gracious and affected person members of society. There you go!”
For extra on the most recent in leaders interviews and reads, click on right here.
