Feb 15, 2007
Uberburger bites the
dust
'The most expensive burger in town' is burnt by business woes but
plans to make a comeback soon
By FOOD CORRESPONDENT, Teo Pau Lin
TEN months after its high-profile opening as the first gourmet
burger restaurant in the region, Uberburger is toast.
The 100-seat eatery in Millenia Walk closed last Wednesday due to
poor business.
Co-owner Murray Aitken said that last September's International
Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings - which were held in Suntec
City next door - were mostly to blame.
He said that the eatery, which opened last March, 'is a great
concept and had great promise at the start'.
But during the 10-day IMF-World Bank meetings, 'there was a 90 per
cent drop in business due mainly to the road closures and
restricted access to the shopping mall', he said.
Mr Aitken, who is president and chief operating officer of the
holding company, Corduroy Lifestyle, added that it lost $110,000 in
September alone.
There was slight improvement from October, but the pick-up was
comparatively low, 'compared to the neighbouring malls that
launched campaigns to draw back the traffic after the convention',
he said.
Between October and last month, Uberburger was still racking up
about $55,000 in losses per month.
'To minimise further losses, the board of directors has decided to
cease operations at its present location,' he said.
Corduroy Lifestyle owns two other eateries - Corduroy & Finch
in Bukit Timah Road and Corduroy Cafe in VivoCity.
The 5,000-sq-ft Uberburger, which was set up at a reported $1
million, made a splash in the food scene when it opened, touting a
$101 wagyu burger - the most expensive in town.
However, its 14-burger menu also offered more affordable items,
from a $9 diced chicken breast burger to a $29 steak tartare
burger.
It also made a statement with its interior design. Styled like a
noisy games arcade, it had a sunken bar, flatscreen TVs that aired
music videos and bright red and yellow screaming from every
wall.
Still, some tenants in Millenia Walk interviewed yesterday said
that the IMF-World Bank meetings were unlikely to be the chief
cause of its closure.
Bab Noodles, which is a few units away, saw business drop by up to
40 per cent during the period.
But restaurant manager Regine Ng said it took only a week or two
for sales to return to pre-IMF levels.
In fact, business at Devi Fusion restaurant, which is right next
door to Uberburger, has boomed over the past three months.
'The economy has picked up. Our sales in January have gone up 15
per cent compared to last January,' said restaurant manager Vinod
Jakhmola.
Last August, Corduroy Lifestyle was embroiled in two lawsuits
involving its partners.
Uberburger's minority stakeholder Lemonfarm sued the company for
not putting in an agreed sum of $600,000.
KMC Holdings - an investment company owned by the family of
boutique hotelier Loh Lik Peng - sued Mr Aitken for not repaying a
$200,000 loan.
Both lawsuits were later settled out of court, said Mr Aitken
yesterday.
He and partner Adrian Wong bought over Lemonfarm and KMC's shares,
and brought in a new shareholder, investment company Star
Concepts.
Mr Aitken stressed that Uberburger's closing has 'absolutely
nothing' to do with the lawsuits.
He also dispelled rumours that the two remaining Corduroy
restaurants are shutting down, too.
'They are doing very well. In fact, we are opening three more
Corduroy outlets in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur later this year,' he
said.
Uberburger's 15 employees have since been redeployed to the two
Corduroy restaurants.
On its demise, customers like bank officer Ronald Ho, 33, said
Uberburger's concept was ultimately to blame.
'It was supposed to be a gourmet place, but it looked more like an
American diner with ESPN on TV and loud rock music,' said Mr Ho,
who ate there once.
'It just didn't connect with me.'
But it's not the end of Uberburger yet.
Mr Aitken said there are plans to open outlets in new locations,
although details are not confirmed.
[email protected]
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'It was supposed to be a gourmet place, but it looked more like an
American diner with ESPN on TV and loud rock music. It just didn't
connect with me'
Bank officer Ronald Ho, who dined at Uberburger once.
He blames its demise on the outlet's concept
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