Rushing from class to focus group, from science park to Dusit Thani, I received an email from my IT manager: No newsletter this month?

Of course, but what topic? That same night, just as we finished watching some focus groups in Bangkok, my client took me to a place called Tawandang (http://www.tawandang1999.com/en/eng/detail.asp), a Thai German beer hall. After 8 years in existence and with 2 outlets, they are by now quite famous in Bangkok, both with tourists and locals.

So imagine this: a huge hall, almost an airplane hangar, with long tables, about a thousand people eating pork knuckes and pat thai, drinking wheat beer brewed on premise, a big stage at the far end of the hall with performances from singing to magic to acrobatics.

Monstrous, weird, interesting and very popular. Octoberfest meets dining-plus-theatre experience in Xi'an.

Two learnings:

Despite the masses, the food was good, hot and came fast, the beers immediately refilled. (As we saw negatively in Amara Sanctuary recently:) it's all about Execution.

And why was the place so popular: More than just food and drink, consumers these days are looking for Experiences. Something extra, unique, a story to tell their friends.

As my friend Andrew keeps saying: It's all about stories.