Mark Choon

Samurai Swords
Business Checks

In September this year, a new, classy, chill out joint was opened in Upper Thomson Road. “Not another pub,” you say. Well this joint is not-just-another-pub-or-chill-out-place. It has one of the most interesting concepts ever. Imagine the fusion of the Underwater World and name-your-favourite-pub-here. What do you get? You get, The Fish Room.

The Fish Room has more than 4 aquariums built in its set up, some more than 4 feet in length. The collection of fish is even more breathtaking to behold. Quality arowanas, large catfish, freshwater rays and other exotic fishes are housed in these tanks. Holding true to its name, The Fish Room is literally one! A fish enthusiast’s heaven!

Getting started

The road to the eventual opening of The Fish Room kicked off somewhere in the middle of 2005 by three friends who met online in a popular aquatic forum, Arofanatics.com. Mr Alvin Tan, previously in the banking sector, Mr Steven Teo, from Singapore Pools and Mr Mark Chan, a chef, got together and came up with the idea of a drinking place to chill out and that is related to fish. “We see clubs for soccer. Golfers’ club. Bikers’ club, but I don’t see any fish club so, why not?” said Alvin.

Thus, the initial concept was born. The team gathered much needed feedback from the forum members of Arofanatics.com on what they wanted to see in a fish concept restaurant. With these ideas, a business plan was put together and funding then came from Alvin’s parents, who liked this very novel concept.
 

Experiences and challenges

When asked about having any previous business experience, Steven declared that they were all “newbies” in business. Both Steven and Alvin attest to the amount of help they received from other hobbyists in Arofanatics.com. Steven says, “We get advice from hobbyist who have their own business or have dealings in food and beverage industry. They guide us along the way and we learn a lot from them.”

They foresee the usual challenges of running a food and beverage (F&B) business such as generating sufficient revenue, customer service and customer retention, marketing and advertising. Alvin adds, “Challenges will include holding people’s interest because after a while, you get sick of seeing the same fishes everyday. We do change our fishes on and off just to make sure it’s a fresh experience.”

Personal growth

Alvin states that in his previous job he as been the in-charge (IC) of teams before but that only means taking orders from the top and passing to his subordinates. Now he is the major decision maker in The Fish Room. “Initially I was very excited, as it goes, it is really not easy,” says Alvin. Steven adds that Alvin will have to be the leader, as their staff will ultimately look up to him as a role model and example. Steven himself explains that even though he is just an employee at The Fish Room, there is much more commitment required than at his previous job and that he is learning a lot from this experience.

When quizzed on the friction of working with friends, both laughed hilariously and admitted that, yes there have been incidents. “I’m very frank about this. Even friends or best friends, there are bound to be quarrels. In this particular line, we see each other for more than 10 hours a day more than we see our family members. Friction is there. There are occasions where you do feel like just getting out of it. However, ultimately it’s the bond that binds us so we’re still at it and going strong,” Steven explains.
Advice for others who are starting out

On this topic, Alvin quickly states, “Really have to make plans very carefully.”

“There are actually many ways to start a business. You can start small or you can start big. There’s no fix rule on how to start. Even along the way, this is not the exact 100% the way we thought it would be. We all have to evolve accordingly to survive,” Steven, speaking from his experience.

Steven also emphasized on the need to know the procedures of starting a business. “In Singapore’s context, you have to know what licenses are required. It is very frustrating if you don’t know the right process because you’d be led from one department to another.”

Alvin added a final word of advice about the business trends in Singapore. “In Singapore, trends don’t last very long. Keep thinking of new ideas, or something new to attract customers. If everybody is doing the same kind of trade, you don’t have anything special. So find new ways to expand.”

Thank you very much Alvin and Steven for your time and sharing.

So what are you waiting for?  Head on down to The Fish Room and chill out with the fishes.

The Fish Room
229 Upper Thomson Road (Opp Prata House & 7-Eleven)

p.s. I like the fries there! Not the fish kind, the potato kind!