Restaurants gear up for EPL season

By RACHAEL KAM
rachael@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: With the EPL season starting soon, many mamak outlets and kopitiam are confident that footie fans will once again fill the tables left out in the cold after the 2010 FIFA World Cup ended.

Big projectors are being prepped up for work again and closing time will be stretched to the wee hours once more.

Kopitiam Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd business development senior manager Dawn Liew said some of its chain of Old Town White Coffee outlets extended business hours till early in the morning during the World Cup season.

“Some outlets now are maintaining their extended hours till 3am or 4am,” she said.

However, Liew said extended business hours during the EPL season would depend on customer demand.

Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar managing director Burhan Mohamed said there were smaller crowds at his 24-hour restaurants after the World Cup ended.

He said he missed the crowds because business was good, especially during the week before the World Cup final.

“But I believe the crowds will return when the EPL season begins,” he said.

Station One cafe creative team head Teh Chan Thye said its Station One Football Friendzy Carnival held on July 11 at Bukit Tinggi, Klang, attracted 3,000 people for the World Cup final which was shown on a giant screen.

“Business was good during the World Cup with our promotion activities,” he said, adding that 10 of its outlets stayed open till 5am.

As for the EPL season, he said the cafe was not planning to extend business hours beyond its 2am closing time.

Forum 19 food court manager William Phang said it would rope in sponsors to organise futsal tournaments and Q&A contests with prizes such as jerseys and caps during the EPL season.