Obiwan Solo: Q Bar Withdraws From Partnership

Avid followers of bar and club news will remember that part of the back story to former Beijinger Bartender of the Year award winner George Zhou's departure from Q Bar related to partners Ralph Ziegenhorn and Echo Sun taking the decision to invest in Xihai bar Obiwan. At the time, the Q Bar connection - with drinks including absinthe cocktails created by Echo, and music programming overseen by former Panjir guitarist and long-term Q Bar resident DJ David Mitchell - seemed set to bring a new lease of life to Obiwan.

A press release issued by Q Bar on May 15 indicates that Obiwan's Beijing spring has been cut short, with Q Bar pulling out of the partnership. The press release reads:

"As of May 1st, the partnership between Beijing's premier cocktail lounge Q Bar and the Xihai music venue Obiwan has been dissolved. The owners of Q Bar have decided to concentrate on their core business, and have returned their shares in Obiwan to the club's founder Ed Schmidt, who will continue to operate the venue. Q Bar's owners are intent on maximizing the potential of their roof space, widely regarded as one of the best such spaces in Beijing, and on continuing to develop their prize-winning cocktail offering; as such they felt that it would be impossible to continue to commit to the ongoing redevelopment at Obiwan. The split from Obiwan is entirely amicable, and the owners of Q Bar wish all the best to Ed and his team."

The deal seemed like an unusual one from the beginning - in particular it was never clear what Q Bar stood to gain or why they should get involved with Obiwan at the very moment that Q Bar's own position as "Beijing's premier cocktail lounge" faced the very real challenge posed by new, stylish cocktail venues like d lounge and Apothecary. Q Bar's four-award haul in the Beijinger's 2010 Reader Bar & Club Awards is a sign that the bar's days as the pre-eminent cocktail bar in Sanlitun are not over. However, Q Bar's management are perhaps wisely focusing their energies on consolidating Q Bar's appeal, recognizing the threat of the newer, more centrally located bars.

And as for Obiwan? Beijing Boyce reports that a buyout is imminent, with possible investment coming from another Beijing music venue. It'd be a pity to see Obiwan fall by the wayside - with its open deck, lakeside setting and weekend barbecues, it's a great venue for summer. However, it needs direction, fresh energy and above all, a degree of consistency that the in-out Q Bar partnership has failed to provide. Whoever ends up at the reigns will need to offer all of those things if the next episode in the Obiwan story is to be a happier one.