Tonyboy & Choy Cojuangco liven up the nightlife

What happens when two of the country’s low-profile tycoons decide to get into the nightlife? If the launching of the two new places is any indication, Makati’s nightlife is certainly now more interesting with this pair of restaurateurs.

Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco and younger brother Ramon "Choy" Cojuangco Jr. have each recently invested in two of the trendiest and newest restaurant bars in Makati – Dreambar @6750 and Streetlife Remix at Glorietta mall.

A summa cum laude graduate of the Ateneo and later educated at Stanford, Tonyboy is today the boss of the aggressive Bank of Commerce which recently purchased three banks owned by the Roberto Benedicto family. Tonyboy has been described by businesswoman Elena Tanyu Coyiuto as "a talented businessman. The government should consider inviting him to join public service as a cabinet official or a top-level adviser, so the economy can benefit from his talents."

The Cojuangcos had brilliantly sold their control of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) at impeccably perfect timing. They sold for the best premium price of about P30 billion pesos to the First Pacific/Salim Group led by Manny Pangilinan, just before stock prices plunged to record lows due to complex problems and a weaker stock market.

And now, here are two new restaurants in the heart of Makati: Dreambar@6750 right beside Makati Shangri-La Hotel and Streetlife Remix at Glorietta Mall.

It’s a pleasant surprise that there are still innovative entrepreneurs investing in new ventures. Streetlife Remix was opened last May 11, starting with a luncheon food tasting while Dreambar was launched on May 15.

Giraffe Reincarnates As Dreambar

The Dreambar launch was crowded with Makati’s top executives, young professionals, models and a disproportionately huge number of Westerners, thus security checks were very strict. The place looked surreal in its elegance, with its almost foreign ambience and the huge number of expats, which almost made it feel like a bar in New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong or Shanghai.

Asian Spirit Airline chairman Noel C. Oñate estimated that about half the crowd were foreigners, most of whom he said are expatriates or diplomats based in Metro Manila. Oñate enthused, "Now, we will have a really good hang-out again, because we miss the old Giraffe ever since it closed. This will be Makati’s ultimate night place."

Business partners Tonyboy Cojuangco and Bubot Quicho were both on the stage behind the bar, and from 6 to 9 p.m., there was a continuous flow of free drinks. Quicho said that one of the differences between Dreambar and the former Giraffe is that they are now offering dining services, with chef Golda Fajardo heading the kitchen staff. A jazz quartet performs daily from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. for the dinner crowd.

Loud and upbeat music blared all night. There was a caricature-like sculpture of an almost naked male figure with a big fat stomach near the stage – perhaps to signify total contentment, leisure or endless merry-making. Dreambar has a smaller second-floor loft area which makes the cozy place look big.

Among the surfeit of notable personalities at the grand opening were the elegantly-dressed Gretchen Barretto and sister Claudine Barretto on their way out as early as 9:45 p.m. accompanied by Tonyboy Cojuangco wearing a casual short-sleeved polo. Makati Congressman Teddy Boy Locsin and his wife Louie Barcelon Locsin were also among the guests.

As for the prices of beer, San Miguel Pale Pilsen and Light sell for P99 while other local brands are a bit more expensive.

New Sounds And Cheaper Prices At Streetlife

At the Streetlife Remix party, the talented acoustic band Mint was performing but there was a sparse Saturday crowd. The luncheon food tasting was limited to pasta and pizza dishes and did not include Chinese, Filipino and Japanese dishes. Every Saturday and Sunday lunch, an acoustic band performs. At night, it’s pop and R&B bands.

The owners of the old Streetlife were also the owners of Angelino’s, but a new investor group led by Choy Cojuangco undertook fresh changes. Renovations started as early as November 2001, but the new investor group came in March this year with a totally new management.

Unlike the old Streetlife which started in 1995, the new 500-seat establishment has abolished the old cafeteria-style passport system for billing and ordering foods. Now Streetlife Remix is a full-service place with food servers. Food prices are now cheaper, and they offer fast lunches and rice topping meals. All local beers sell for P60 and the popular sisig is at P125 per order.

Due to stiff competition and the hard times, Streetlife Remix has also abolished the minimum consumable entrance every night, except on Fridays and Saturdays. For people who opt to drink away from the entertainment and the frenzied crowd, Streetlife Remix has its new "Xtension Bar."

These two new places will hopefully put pressure on other Metro Manila bars to keep on innovating. After all, there are a lot of night owls out there.

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