SMU alumnus Edwin Lim was featured in an article where he spoke about his experience and the challenges he faced rebranding an eatery at SMU that had been struggling to pull in the crowds. Within just two months, he had to hire and train a new team for the restaurant, and come up with a new theme, concept and menu. The previous restaurant, known as Tonic-X, was an initiative by the SMU Alumni Association (SMUAA), which aimed to provide a gathering spot on campus for alumni and students to network. Mr Lim launched the new concept, B3 - which stands for "burger, beer, bistro" - last August, and it continues to be owned and operated by SMUAA.
At least 400 customers now frequent B3 daily, and though the bulk of them are still students or faculty, the bistro also caters food or hosts professional development workshops organised by SMUAA at least once a month. B3 is now stepping up efforts to raise awareness of its brand, especially among alumni.
Two undergraduates from SMU School of Information Systems, Mr Jackson Kwa and Mr Lee Teck Hui, are working with B3 on a project that aims to build customer loyalty and encourage repeat customers. They will come up with a prototype for a membership card system that can store money, track purchases and allow customers to collect points by August.
[ SMU Alumni Association general manager Edwin Lim is also the manager of B3, which stands for "burger, beer, bistro", and oversees its operations.ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG ]