Lounge bars a hit among China's white collar workers
Staff Reporter 2012-12-20 10:51
A lounge bar in China. (Internet photo)
Lounge bars have become the new hangout for white collar workers in China looking to let off some steam, reports Want Daily, our Chinese-language sister newspaper.
Offering drinks and dancing, lounge bars can be relaxing for more reserved patrons while also being lively and energetic to those looking for some fun. Visitors to such a bar in Taiyuan in Shanxi province, for example, might see groups of friends dancing and laughing with each other to one side and people quietly sipping on cocktails on the other.
"I come here whenever I'm under pressure. I need to relax when facing pressure from society, family and the office," said Zhang Wei, a 30-year-old securities broker.
While all his friends are married, Zhang is still single and does not have his own car or house. He believes sitting by the bar and chatting with friends after work is a great way to relax and unwind.
Hou Xiaojun, the general manager of Bonbon Bar in Taiyuan, said the customers who frequent his bar are all young white-collar workers who are still focused on their careers but might have to also juggle looking after their parents or children.
Hou said there are over 10 lounge bars in Taiyuan and his bar is packed almost every night. He once had 600 customers in a single day during a festival.
Peng Pai, a manager of Show Bar in the southern province of Guangdong, said the lounge bar phenomenon is springing up everywhere across China. The drinks menu is much like you would find at any Western establishment and lots of local people are beginning to like cocktails, he said.
"The customer base keeps expanding," Peng said. "In the past, the main customers were foreigners, but nowadays young Chinese people have also become regulars."
