A new entertainment-and-restaurant complex located in Taipei's chic Dinghao area is scheduled to have its soft opening on Christmas eve, an international real-estate firm told the Taipei Times yesterday.
Originally a two-story concrete house owned by Taiwanese textile mogul Douglas Hsu (徐旭東), the nearly completed building -- Bistro 98 -- boasts 11 floors of food and fun, according to Calvin Wang (王治平), managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle Taiwan (仲量聯行).
With about 60 pings per floor, the building will feature boutiques on the first two levels as well as several restaurants and lounge bars from the third floor up. The complex is designed to appeal to Dinghao's trendy customers, who are typically between 20 and 40 years old, Wang said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Wang declined to specify how much money was invested in the building, but he did say that, "It will be Taipei's first entertainment-restaurant complex that aims to meet the needs of young professionals in this city."
Jones Lang LaSalle Taiwan currently serves as the primary agent for the building's retail leasing. According to the firm, nearly 90 percent of the complex was rented out more than a year in advance -- before construction even started -- attesting to the desirability of the property's location.
The average rental price in the area is nearly NT$20,000 per ping, according to real-estate developer DTZ Debenham Tie Leung (戴德梁行).
"So far, we have already signed up a number of tenants -- such as Japanese curry-food restaurant Aubergine (茄子咖哩), Cantonese restaurant Three Coins (大三元), and Japanese yakiniku restaurant Bullfight (鬥牛士)," Wang said.
Ted Huang (黃一哲), spokesman for the yet-to-be-named lounge bar that will occupy both the 10th and 11th floors, said the central location of the new complex is important.
"It's an outstanding location that offers both food and entertainment under one roof," Huang said.
Dinghao is the mecca of Taipei's shoppers and entertainment-seekers and boasts three department stores that are within walking distance of hundreds of shops and restaurants.
Huang's lounge bar will be managed by many of the partners that brought Taipei The Opium Den (鴉片館), Room 18 night club and Japanese-cuisine restaurant Mulan (沐蘭).
Another tenant cited the endless stream of people and the convenience of transportation as the reason why it is moving to the new complex. "The Dinghao area will definitely have a lot of customer traffic due to the nearby Sogo Pacific Department Store (太平洋崇光百貨)," said Hsueh Shun-shu (薛順淑), spokeswoman for Bullfight, which has 38 outlets in Taiwan and six in China.
"Also, transportation won't be a concern because the building is close to the Chunghsiao-Fushing MRT station."
While there are currently few direct competitors in the field, one market watcher says brand-name tenants will be key to the success of the complex in the long run.
"Basically, this complex re-presents a new business model that brings together various established food and entertainment facilities," said Jacky Tsai (
DIVIDED VIEWS: Although the Fed agreed on holding rates steady, some officials see no rate cuts for this year, while 10 policymakers foresee two or more cuts There are a lot of unknowns about the outlook for the economy and interest rates, but US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled at least one thing seems certain: Higher prices are coming. Fed policymakers voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, as they await clarity on whether tariffs would leave a one-time or more lasting mark on inflation. Powell said it is still unclear how much of the bill would fall on the shoulders of consumers, but he expects to learn more about tariffs
NOT JUSTIFIED: The bank’s governor said there would only be a rate cut if inflation falls below 1.5% and economic conditions deteriorate, which have not been detected The central bank yesterday kept its key interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive quarter, aligning with market expectations, while slightly lowering its inflation outlook amid signs of cooling price pressures. The move came after the US Federal Reserve held rates steady overnight, despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to cut borrowing costs. Central bank board members unanimously voted to maintain the discount rate at 2 percent, the secured loan rate at 2.375 percent and the overnight lending rate at 4.25 percent. “We consider the policy decision appropriate, although it suggests tightening leaning after factoring in slackening inflation and stable GDP growth,”
Greek tourism student Katerina quit within a month of starting work at a five-star hotel in Halkidiki, one of the country’s top destinations, because she said conditions were so dire. Beyond the bad pay, the 22-year-old said that her working and living conditions were “miserable and unacceptable.” Millions holiday in Greece every year, but its vital tourism industry is finding it harder and harder to recruit Greeks to look after them. “I was asked to work in any department of the hotel where there was a need, from service to cleaning,” said Katerina, a tourism and marketing student, who would
i Gasoline and diesel prices at fuel stations are this week to rise NT$0.1 per liter, as tensions in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices higher last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) said yesterday. International crude oil prices last week rose for the third consecutive week due to an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, as the market is concerned that the situation in the Middle East might affect crude oil supply, CPC and Formosa said in separate statements. Front-month Brent crude oil futures — the international oil benchmark — rose 3.75 percent to settle at US$77.01
RSS