Symphony Brasserie to Close

[Gaybutton]

This evening I was reliably informed that Hugh Millar is going to close the Symphony Brasserie restaurant, probably at the end of this month. He intends to return to Scotland to pursue a new career.

 

Hugh has been in Pattaya for a very long time, probably longer than most of us, and certainly before I ever even started coming to Thailand. Many of you may remember when Hugh was the day manager at The Ambiance before moving on to start the Symphony Brasserie. He first came to Pattaya for a holiday, ended up being offered the position at The Ambiance, and never went back.

 

I hope I speak for all of us in wishing Hugh the best of luck with his future endeavors. I will miss him.

[Guest geneman]

I have seen this notice also posted on Sawatdee and was very sad to think that Symphony Brasserie will be closing. Have enjoyed many meals there under Hugh's ownership and in the restaurant's previous existence as Mata Hari under dear old Louis.

 

Is this closure symptomatic of the general decline in gay business in Pattaya/Thailand? Have noticed on two visits last year that many businesses - bars, restaurants and hotels - are suffering a downturn in the number of customers they attract. Are there just too many such businesses or are there wider issues involved?

 

Hugh and his restaurant will be missed by the Pattaya gay community and one can only wish him well in whatever new career he is taking up in Scotland.

[Gaybutton]

Are there just too many such businesses or are there wider issues involved?

 

It's a combination, I believe, of many factors ranging from fewer customers to what we call "tea money" being paid to the right people. Sometimes the businesses eventually fail when they're losing money each month instead of making a profit and sometimes the owners simply get tired of having to deal with the corruption.

[PattayaMale]

My guess is Hugh will be back......who could live in Scotland after so many years in Pattaya?

 

Good luck though

[Guest goodtimeboy]

Yes this is true, I was recently playing golf in China, with the American Owner/ Backer (I wont use his name here) of this restaurant , who use to also Own/Back Leks, Boyz, Bar, the new “Birdcage”, he was telling me he gave it, 1 year to make a profit never did, so extended it to 18 months, now it is still not making a profit, he said, its time to pull out of subsidizing it, so really its the law of the jungle the,l weak will be eaten up and only the strong will survive.

 

I’m sure Hugh will find something to do or he can always go back to Ambience where he did a good job, if the powers that be there, will have him?

 

We are so lucky with good Restaurants in Pattaya and Luis owner of Marta Hari before, he moved to his new Grand restaurant, was a hard act to follow, then taking all the customer base to Marta Hari, it left Hugh with a dilemma of finding a niche of his own customers and failed, I’m afraid.? why eat at a second best restaurant, when you can have the real thing, on the way to jomtiem. Symphony, was a bad location, bad parking and now, it would seems, bad management? Not good publicity to start with either, shame really, its always good to have something different, where you feel that bit special.

[Gaybutton]

Symphony, was a bad location, bad parking

 

I'll agree with you on that part of what you wrote. I don't know about the rest of it. Mata Hari seemed to do well at that location, but I would have eaten at the Symphony far more often if parking wasn't such a problem. It was quite difficult to find parking anywhere near it.

 

One time I ate there and when I left my car tire had been booted and a citation was on my windshield. It took two hours to pay the fine at the police station. To this day I still don't know why I couldn't park where I did. Neither did the Thai lady who also parked one space ahead of me and also found herself cited. That did not exactly add to the enjoyment of the evening.

 

Nevertheless, that's the main reason I didn't go very often, only two or three times a year. Parking was truly a problem. Even taking a baht bus was a problem because the restaurant was nowhere near any of the gay venues or anywhere else I would enjoy going following an excellent dinner. Also, since Second Road is one-way, it was a pain to walk to Beach Road to find a baht bus to get back to the gay areas or the popular hotels.

 

I believe if Hugh had opened in a better location, then the restaurant would have become just as popular as Bruno's, Mata Hari, or any other restaurant of that quality. I always thought the food was wonderful, but the location simply did not work.

[Guest buaseng]

Have noticed on two visits last year that many businesses - bars, restaurants and hotels - are suffering a downturn in the number of customers they attract. Are there just too many such businesses or are there wider issues involved?

I think that the current adverse exchange rate THB-$ and THB-£ as well as the quite large rises in air fares are bound to be having an effect on the number of regular visitors and that is why there have been numerous reports recently of things being quiet in Pattaya (even in the high season).

 

I'm in the process of arranging my next (twice-yearly) trip to LOS and already calculate that it is probably going to cost me over £500 (1000 $US) more than it did for my last visit in November 2007. My usual air fare has increased by over £200 as a result of higher UK airport taxes and the general rise in airfares because of higher fuel costs. The Baht is now 12% more expensive than it was in November and that means I have to budget an extra £300 for living/entertainment expenses (or forego/drastically reduce my usual routine! ). I'm not complaining and can afford to fork out the extra costs but other regular visitors may not be so lucky.

 

As regards Symphony - I fully agree with the other comments that the restaurant was in the wrong place (for gays) and is was qite a hassle to get to and more importantly get back from using baht buses. I can't comment on the parking problem through experience but did note that it was fairly restricted.

[Gaybutton]

I think that the current adverse exchange rate THB-$ and THB-£ as well as the quite large rises in air fares are bound to be having an effect on the number of regular visitors and that is why there have been numerous reports recently of things being quiet in Pattaya (even in the high season).

 

That is most likely a significant factor. Just a couple years ago an 800 baht dinner cost about US $17. That same 800 baht dinner now costs about US $26. I enjoy expensive restaurants as much as anybody, but I don't frequent them when I can have a great dinner at less than half that price. That puts many restaurants in a bad situation. They can't afford to reduce their prices and still make a profit, but it's getting to a point that only the super rich can afford to eat in those restaurants on any kind of a regular basis.

 

As a resident, I used to splurge on a fine restaurant about once a week. Now I splurge maybe once every four to six weeks. I have things I'd rather spend my money on rather than spending it on frequent gourmet meals that now cost so much more than they used to. It's just not worth it to me and I have a feeling I'm not alone in that. Unfortunately, fewer customers means even more difficulties for restaurants that depend on clientele, especially during low season, which is now upon Pattaya for the next several months. They weren't doing much of a booming business even during high season.

 

It would be a shame to lose more fine restaurants, but I won't be surprised if we end up reading about more of them going out of business before very long and a lot more about which pushcart restaurants have the best 30 baht deals.

[Guest fountainhall]

he was telling me he gave it, 1 year to make a profit never did, so extended it to 18 months, now it is still not making a profit, he said, its time to pull out of subsidizing it, so really its the law of the jungle the,l weak will be eaten up and only the strong will survive.

 

I never dined at the restaurant, but wonder if, despite its quality, the owners/management did not pay enough attention to the old "location, location, location" mantra? Just a thought.

[Gaybutton]

the owners/management did not pay enough attention to the old "location, location, location" mantra? Just a thought.

 

It's difficult to know. After all, Mata Hari was at that location for many years and they did just fine. I think another factor is probably competition. At the time Mata Hari was operating from that location there were not nearly so many excellent restaurants at very reasonable prices as there are now. Many new restaurants have opened in much closer proximity to the gay areas and popular gay-friendly hotels. There are many more choices now than there were during Mata Hari's tenure there and since Symphony Brasserie first opened.

 

In other words, it may have been a good location a few years ago, but it has since become a poor location.

 

Of course, it's not just the gay crowd that goes out to eat. I don't know why the restaurant failed to attract enough of the heterosexual crowd to be profitable, but obviously it didn't.

 

Another example is more recent. Just a short while ago I posted a message about a new gay massage called Stronger Boy. It's up near Big-C, North Pattaya. I'll bet hardly anyone has gone there yet. I haven't and I'm in no hurry to go. I wonder if anybody reading this has been there at all or even plans to try it. It may be a fabulous gay massage, but the location stinks. Who do they think is going to go out of their way to go to the one gay venue in that entire area, where it's a pain-in-the-ass to get back to where you came from? I wish them well, but I don't expect it to last very long because of the location.

[payless]

In other words, it may have been a good location a few years ago, but it has since become a poor location.

 

Of course, it's not just the gay crowd that goes out to eat. I don't know why the restaurant failed to attract enough of the heterosexual crowd to be profitable, but obviously it didn't.

 

I never ate at Symphony Restaurant but it has one of the better locations in Pattaya. A place with very high footfall, on the baht bus route and slap bang in the middle of tourist Pattaya, though parking is restricted. Then parking is also difficult in Pattayaland and boyz Town but many people go there. Cherry's Restaurant on 3rd. Road is in a bad location but very popular. The old Bruno's located in N Pattaya was in a bad location for gay venues but still gays went there.

Mata Hari has almost no people walking past and on some criteria is in a bad location but is popular.

 

I suspect the failure of Symphony is that the location has little to do with it. It is that either the food, service, price or ambience (no pun intended) were not good enough to make the effort to go there.

Location probably did contribute to its downfall but surely it is not a 'gays only restaurant'!

 

GB wrote

Another example is more recent. Just a short while ago I posted a message about a new gay massage called Stronger Boy. It's up near Big-C, North Pattaya

.

A gay massage place has existed on and off in this location and was called something like 'Zeemen' and previous to that 'Door'.

I don't think they were successful but the target market was Asian tourists. I did go once when it was Door and it was very seedy/grubby and overpriced for a place with grubs. The mamasang was called LG and I think he used to work in Studio Boys in Day Night many years ago. I suspect it will be him again at Stronger Boy.

[PattayaMale]

"Cherry's Restaurant on 3rd. Road is in a bad location but very popular" ....payless

 

How is Cherry's at a bad location? It has ample street parking on Third Rd

 

Also Cherry's price structure is not nearly as high as the other restaurants mentioned.

[payless]

"Cherry's Restaurant on 3rd. Road is in a bad location but very popular" ....payless

 

How is Cherry's at a bad location? It has ample street parking on Third Rd

 

Also Cherry's price structure is not nearly as high as the other restaurants mentioned.

 

That was my point, though not well stated. Cherry's is not in a great location except for those who drive cars. It is away from the tourist route, does not have a lot of passing trade but the price is right the food and the service are also good. Maybe Symphony got some or all of these attributes wrong. I can only guess as I never went there and it has failed.

 

I think if the restaurant is good, people will make the effort to get there. As I wrote earlier, where do people park their cars when visiting Boyz Town?

 

[PattayaMale]

where do people park their cars when visiting Boyz Town?......

 

Many park at the temple. It has a big parking lot. I think it costs 10 or 20 baht

 

[Guest geneman]

This evening I was reliably informed that Hugh Millar is going to close the Symphony Brasserie restaurant, probably at the end of this month. He intends to return to Scotland to pursue a new career.

 

Hugh has been in Pattaya for a very long time, probably longer than most of us, and certainly before I ever even started coming to Thailand. Many of you may remember when Hugh was the day manager at The Ambiance before moving on to start the Symphony Brasserie. He first came to Pattaya for a holiday, ended up being offered the position at The Ambiance, and never went back.

 

I hope I speak for all of us in wishing Hugh the best of luck with his future endeavors. I will miss him.

 

Having in the last two days spoken personally with Hugh, it is still not entirely certain that the restaurant will actually close at the end of April. Perhaps board members and/or readers can help by patronising the establishment during the next couple of weeks and showing him some practical support. For those of you needing parking, why not try Tops supermarket car park at the junction of Pattaya Klang and Second Road which always has spaces, is free and only 100 yards away from Symphony.

 

[Guest JoeM]

This is encouraging news. Symphony is always on my restaurant list. I will be in Pattaya next week and am planning a dinner at Hugh's establishment.

[Gaybutton]

Having in the last two days spoken personally with Hugh, it is still not entirely certain that the restaurant will actually close at the end of April.

 

I hope that Hugh will not have to close the restaurant after all and I like your ideas, but if the problems at the restaurant are due to low customer numbers, I don't know how much help supporters can realistically be. I can afford to eat there once or twice, but I can't afford to start eating there regularly.

 

I don't know how many people who are reading these messages are actually in Pattaya or shortly will be. From among those, I don't know how many will go to the Symphony even if they are here. If everyone reading this goes tomorrow night, how much help will that actually be in the long run? It might provide a short term solution, but I think, realistically, it would take much more than that to save the restaurant, assuming we are even aware of the actual reasons Hugh is considering closing. I, for one, am only speculating about the problem being lack of customers. For all I know, he's full every night. But I don't know.

 

Perhaps if Hugh would consider informing us as to what it would take for him to remain open, we would be in a better position to assist. I could very easily be wrong, but I just don't think filling the restaurant a few times over the next week or so is going to be the solution. It can't hurt anything, but I think a long term solution is probably what is required.

[Gaybutton]

I don't think they were successful but the target market was Asian tourists.

 

Regarding Stronger Boy, either they have changed their target market or they're trying to expand it. What else would be the reason they are handing out fliers at the gay beach, and only at the gay beach, and the fliers are written entirely in English?

[Gaybutton]

I just received a telephone call from Hugh Millar. To set the record straight, yes he is closing. Actually he already has closed and is in the process of finalizing everything. He says he is not leaving Thailand at all. He intends to remain here in Pattaya, but has not decided what he intends to do next. He will let us know once he has made his decisions.

 

In any case, the Symphony Brasserie is now history.

[Gaybutton]

I have to apologize. I misunderstood Hugh's closing date. The restaurant is still open. The final day will be Wednesday. So, if you've never been to the Symphony Brasserie, you still have a few days to get there and try it. If you get there, I think you'll hope, as I do, that Hugh will decide to open another restaurant. We're going to lose a marvelous restaurant, but you still have a few days left to enjoy it.