As Stay Gold Flamingo marks its third anniversary, we chat with founders Jerrold and Jiawei to reflect on the journey of their award-winning cocktail bar. From its origins as a bold dual-concept café and bar with a street-posh attitude, to becoming a beloved space for both guests and staff, the duo has navigated challenges, learned valuable lessons, and found a balance between creativity and business.
In this interview, they share their vision, teamwork, and how they have adapted to the unexpected, offering a glimpse into what it takes to build a thriving bar from the ground up. Here’s their story, in their own words.
What was the vision behind Stay Gold Flamingo when you first opened, and how has it evolved since?
Our vision has always been to inspire people. Stay Gold Flamingo is a dual identity bar & café driven by a street-posh attitude, a third place for our guests, and a place with career progression and challenges for our team.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve both learned from running Stay Gold Flamingo together?
Jiawei: Ego, pride, emotions. Cannot bring it to business and partnership.
Jerrold: I agree, we have gone through happy and frustrating times working together, but at the end of the day, all of us including, Ethan, have the same intention which is to have a successful venue. The difficulty which is also a lesson, is in finding balance between business and passion.
How do your individual strengths complement each other in running Stay Gold Flamingo?
Jerrold is the brain and Jiawei is the muscle. One is great with the idea, and the other is great with execution. It goes hand in hand.
Opening just after the pandemic and lockdowns must have been challenging. How did you both adapt to the uncertainties of that time?
There wasn’t much choice but to go with the flow. We remember when we couldn’t play any music due to Covid restrictions and the team were constantly creating conversations and laughter to fill in the void. We also had a lot of crazy work-around plans to plan ahead in case of certain situations.
Can you share the story behind one of your signature cocktails? What makes it special to you?
Intro to Absinthe! It was one of our earliest cocktails for Stay Gold, which was born during the Covid Phase where limited people could visit each other’s household. We both share a love for Absinthe and that was how we created an Absinthe cocktail, one which would introduce people to Absinthe and change the dangerous aura about it.
As co-owners, what advice would you give to others considering going into business with a partner in the F&B industry?
Don’t start a F&B Business! Okay but seriously… Don’t go into a partnership until you:
- Get to know this person well for at least a year
- Decide if their work ethics is similar or better than yours
- Find out what he/she complements you and bring to the table.
As you celebrate Stay Gold flamingo’s third anniversary, what exciting plans or projects are on the way?
The local ones are not ready to be revealed yet, and we are looking into potential overseas projects with talents and partners that we can invest with.
As Stay Gold Flamingo steps into its fourth year, the founders remain focused on their core values —creativity, community, and growth. With exciting future projects on the horizon and a deep commitment to balancing their passion with business savvy, Jerrold and Jiawei continue to shape an environment that pushes boundaries while staying true to their vision. Their journey is a testament to resilience, teamwork, and a shared goal of creating a space where both guests and staff can thrive.
We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Stay Gold Flamingo!
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