Another well-known bar in the Eastern District of Taipei went out! Judging from the closure of "Abrazo Bistro": Young people don't like nightlife anymore?

The famous bar "Abrazo Bistro" invested by the famous actor Xie Chengjun at TV series and located in Taipei's Eastern District business district announced that it will turn off its lights and its last day of business will be December 31, 2024. Abrazo Bistro was founded in 2013. The restaurant is decorated in an industrial style and offers cocktails, pasta, risotto, salads, fried food and other meals. After dark, it transforms into a nightclub bar, attracting many people. Consumption is an iconic gay nightclub in Taipei.

Recently, many well-known bars have been reported to have closed down. The "Tiger Lily" bar opened by popular singer Yang Naiwen and her friends in Taipei City's Eastern District in 2016 also blew out its 8-year-old light on October 26.

The famous gay bar Abrazo Bistro in Taipei Eastern District suddenly closed down and will not be able to survive until 2025

Looking at the Google Maps reviews, Abrazo Bistro received more than 1,000 reviews, with an average score of 4.3 points. Although Abrazo Bistro has an iconic status and continues to be very popular, the official still issued an announcement in the early morning of December 1, stating that it will close on December 31, 2024, and thanked fans for their past support and love.

Abrazo Bistro official closing announcement

To my dear Abrazo friends:

We officially announce that Abrazo will be closing on December 31, 2024.

This journey is wonderful because of your support and complete because of the dedication of every employee. Here, we sincerely thank everyone who has been with us along the way. All the stories and memories will remain in our hearts forever.

Thank you again for your support and love in the past, and I hope that when we meet again in the future, we can raise a toast together and hug you again.

Abrazo bistro Hug the restaurant staff

December 1, 2024

After surviving the epidemic and temporarily shutting down operations, we still lost to long-term losses.

In recent years, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, many catering industries have fallen into business crises, especially in 2021, the most tense period of the epidemic. According to "Sanlih News Network (SETN)", Xie Chengjun admitted that Abrazo Bistro suffered a loss of one million due to the closure of the epidemic, and had already closed down on its own before the government announced it. Despite the operating difficulties caused by the epidemic, Xie Chengjun did not lay off employees and even applied for relief funds for employees. , and began to operate takeout, delivery and other projects to survive the epidemic storm.

Since the second half of 2024, there have been many discussions on the social platform Threads about Abrazo Bistro's embrace of the restaurant, including issues such as reduced crowds and poor music quality in the store. Now Abrazo Bistro is determined to go into history by the end of 2024. "Sanlih News Network (SETN)" reported that Xie Chengjun said that this is not a temporary decision. Abrazo Bistro has been losing money for many months. In addition to the overall environment, people drink , changes in consumption habits, and multiple factors such as Internet malice. Regarding whether Abrazo Bistro will reopen in the future, Xie Chengjun said that he has no serious plans yet.

The bar industry is getting harder and harder to do! There is a "nightlife recession" in the UK, will Taiwan do the same?

Bar operators are turning off their lights one after another, and this is not the first case in Taiwan.

Looking at the global society, there has been a "nightlife decline" in the UK in recent years. The British Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) pointed out that as the cost of living rises, young generations have less disposable income and are more inclined to choose cheaper social activities. NTIA CEO Michael Kill pointed out that the number, length of stay and consumption of young generations' nightlife participation have been significantly reduced, and they pay more attention to the cost-effectiveness of social activities.

A survey by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) shows that currently only 37% of pubs and catering operators can remain profitable. In addition to the heavy losses caused by the previous epidemic, the economic pressure on reopening businesses after the epidemic has slowed down has also become heavier than before. Multiple pressures such as soaring overall energy prices, inflation, tax pressure, rising commodity prices, and increased labor costs have put bar operators in dire straits. Whether Taiwan will follow in the footsteps of the UK remains to be seen.

Source: Abrazo Bistro, Sanlih News Network (SETN)