kyo Singapore closure 'just a pause in our chapter', says LEC co-founder Godwin Pereira
It’s always sad to hear the demise of a well-loved club.
Following the announcement of kyo’s closure after four years of operation to focus on their recently opened outlet in Kuala Lumpur, regular patrons of the club in Singapore were quick to take to social media to mourn the loss.
On Thursday night (8 June), the club addressed fans on Facebook, saying, “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for allowing us to be part of the dynamic music scene and part of the memories you’ve made at the basement for the past four years. Till we see you again on the dancefloor, always remember that music is love.”
Godwin Pereira, the director and co-founder of Limited Edition Concepts (LEC) that runs club kyo, hopes that fans won’t give up on the brand just yet, and that a comeback could still be possible.
“I think it’s just a pause in our chapter to where we want to go in our direction. It’s a breathing point for us,” he said when Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore sat down with him for a chat on Friday afternoon (9 June)
Located on the basement of Keck Seng Tower at 133 Cecil Street, the underground nightclub has hosted several house and techno DJs such as Francois K and Ben UFO. LEC also runs other clubs in Singapore such as Refuge at CHIJMES.
“The point of us figuring out where we should go actually started at year three, when I opened up Kuala Lumpur,” said the nightlife entrepreneur, who has been in the business for 28 years.
The brand’s outlet in Malaysia opened in 2016 and is located at the city’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The two-room club can accommodate up to 770 people across two rooms. Its Singapore outlet can only accommodate about 270.
Among the reasons that had led to the decision included the slowing down of the economy, the lack of venue flexibility, as well as the change in dynamics of the market. “Once the banking sector started to soften a bit, we started to see a decline,” he revealed.
Being located at the centre of the Central Business District, it is no surprise that the regular patrons of the club had also comprised of people working in the banking sector, with many major banks’ offices located nearby.
“When we opened, we were the only ones that were doing this style and genre. Two years later, you got other guys that are opening up. You’ve got HQ, you have Kilo, you’ve got CATO that are kind of doing the same stuff as we did,” revealed Pereira, who used to own the now defunct bistro and bar The Vault.
Furthermore, jazzing up the club via renovations isn’t easy. “It’s not a complex of its own. It’s not like a Zouk where you can just break down walls and do whatever you want to do,” he said, referring to Singapore’s iconic night club that has moved from Jiak Kim Street to Clarke Quay.
Pereira later revealed that he had once thought of opening a ramen joint in the club to cater to the lunch crowd. But plans were foiled after “it didn’t make sense to build a wall in the club”.
But looking back at the club’s four-year journey, Pereira has nothing but pride. “It’s not everyday you can find a club that can last for four years, to be honest. In this day and age you got clubs that last for 12 months, 18 months, some even can do it for three months. I think for us, being a locally-born-and-bred brand, and for us to have such a global approach and appeal in such a short span of time, I think my team has done a fantastic job,” he said.
Asked if he has any advice for future club owners in Singapore, Pereira said, “Manage your cost. Don’t spend too much.”
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