HYDERABAD: Dim lights, dark interiors, a DJ on his console and a young crowd- all part of the atmosphere at a city pub. Out of nowhere, a man in his late twenties croons to the karaoke of a popular rock number. He doesn’t sound like popstar material but the crowd sing along with the youngster without a care in the world.However, the ‘Karaoke Nights’ phenomenon is not just a specialty at pubs anymore but spreading to Hyderabad’s fine dining places as well, with dim lights replaced by more soothing colours and bar stools transformed into plush sofas and armchairs. The crowd consists of not just youth but also families with children in tow. “We have observed an increased demand for karaoke nights among our guests. They wanted a bit of variety apart from just live bands. So around two and a half months ago, we started the karaoke nights and the response has been tremendous,” said Jeethu, manager at Grill Room, a restaurant in Banjara Hills. The eating joint has been witnessing almost 20 to 30 per cent increase in guests during Fridays which are Karaoke Nights. “The surprising thing is that not just youngsters but families and old people come in to sing aloud. We have had instances when 10-year-olds grab the mike and sing,” he added.Ohri’s 1857, located near Necklace road too has jumped onto the karaoke bandwagon around three months back. “We encourage our guests to sing by offering them free gifts, buffet coupons and complimentary drinks. But since we do have the ambience of a regular pub, people prefer watching others sing and need to be coaxed into singing along. But with time people will sing just like at any other nightclub,” said AK Solanki, corporate general manager, Ohri’s.Ohri’s has also witnessed a 30 per cent increase in guests on karaoke nights but Solanki adds, “We have to invest more since the jukebox, screens and sound equipment have to be of the highest quality. But its all about giving our customers some variety in their dining experience which ensures a better customer recall. We are contemplating conducting more karaoke nights in a week as well as opening more such lounges across the city in the near future.” A couple more yet- to-be opened restaurants also mentioned an interest to conduct karaoke nights once they commence operations.The most popular karaoke pubs in the city include Xtreme Sports Bar, 10 Downing Street and Hard Rock Cafe. Restaurants though are fast catching up on the pub territory.
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