Straits Clan club to be co-managed with lifestyle, hospitality player Mandala Group

Singapore

WITH private membership clubs staging a strong post-"circuit breaker" comeback, local club Straits Clan has taken on a new partner to prepare for the next stage of growth.

In a memo to its members yesterday, the Straits Clan - part of F&B operator The Lo & Behold Group - announced that it will now be co-managed with The Mandala Group, a Singapore-based lifestyle, hospitality and development group.

The Mandala Group operates luxury properties overseas such as Ulu Cliffhouse in Bali and Seasons Niseko villas in Japan, and, until recently, local F&B outlets Oxwell & Co and Operation Dagger. Both outlets closed down in July as casualties of the Covid-19 crisis.

With a substantial investment in Straits Clan, there were initial concerns that the Mandala group would be taking control of the operations, but that is not the case, said Wee Teng Wen, co-founder of Straits Clan and managing partner of The Lo & Behold Group (TLBG).

He stressed that the two entities are committed to maintaining Straits Clan's heritage DNA, embodied in its architecture as a conservation space in Bukit Pasoh, and its Asian restaurant, Kin.

"We did not give up the controlling share of the club," said Mr Wee, whose F&B company operates restaurants such as Odette, The White Rabbit and Esora, as well as The Warehouse Hotel.

"TLBG remains the majority and controlling shareholder in Straits Clan. Building it to what it is today was very hard work, (so) this was naturally a very big decision for us. This partnership is a strategic play to each group's strengths."

For one thing, it gives Straits Clan a foothold in the region through Mandala's overseas properties; Mandala in turn has been looking to enter the membership club arena.

"We've always felt that there is regional relevance for a club like SC. However, our operations and expertise are currently limited to Singapore, so it made sense to work with a partner with properties and experience in the region."

The club opened three years ago and now has just over 1,000 members, 40 per cent of whom are expatriates, said Mr Wee. "It reached profitability at the end of 2019, and continues to be profitable."

The circuit breaker "was undeniably tough", but since reopening, it has been busier than ever, especially as "it fills the gap between work and home in a seamless and hospitable way".

The partnership evolved out of a friendship between Mr Wee and Ben Jones, Mandala's chief executive; they have been discussing the plan since March, said Mr Wee.

Among the steps planned under the new partnership are "supporting and supplementing the team with some of ours, tapping into our partnership network and database for memberships and building on a shared dream of taking Straits Clan into the region," said Mr Jones.

When travel curbs are lifted, members will get access to Mandala properties as well.

He also hopes to revive the concepts of Oxwell & Co and Operation Dagger, which had to close because the lockdown and safe-distancing measures made it untenable for them to continue.

A festive pop-up at Straits Clan will feature Oxwell & Co; meanwhile, the team from Operation Dagger will move to Straits Clan, with a view to launching a revised concept next year.

Mr Wee said no restructuring is on the cards and Straits Clan is, in fact, actively hiring.

Of the new partnership, he said: "We will work closely together on key strategic decisions for the club, while Mandala will be jointly involved in operating the club. With its expertise in operations and regional footprint in the luxury hospitality sector, (Mandala) is the best partner for us to take Straits Clan to the next stage of growth."