Greater competition coupled with early closing hours imposed by the state government are now forcing pubs, discos, bars and restaurants to rethink their business strategy - prices are being slashed, discounts are being offered and wherever possible loss-making businesses are being shut or redesigned.

One of Mumbai's most swank clubs, Taj's 1900s is closing down to make way for a disco. The club hosted a special closing-down party for all members last Friday. According to sources the new place will be smaller as it makes no sense to dedicate so much space to a disco, which pulls in the crowd only twice a week - Friday and Saturday nights. Though the Taj Food and Beverage Manager Sunil Taneja would not confirm this, he did say that the current spot where the 1900s is located will berenovated and turned into a coffee shop or a restaurant. The night club will be relocated elsewhere in the hotel with a new name and a new design. ``It will be something very different and a completely new concept,'' he added.

And if Taj has felt the pinch, smaller players have been worse affected. Just over two week ago Sanjay Narang re-launched his night-spot Three Flights Up. This bar has a capacity to accommodate 800 people, but recently it has not been pulling in the crowds. The bar lost well over half the crowd it had when it opened two years ago. Says Narang, ``With the early closing hours people do not want to pay an entrance fees. The early shutting has meant that less people are going out post-dinner so we needed a new format.'' Which is why Three Flights Up has now re-done its menu to include more international dishes, lowered prices to make sure there's ª value for money and have waived entrance charge.

The Fashion Bar and Bistro is also trying to get the evening crowd back. Very soon itwill have special promotions from 6 pm to 9 pm to attract people on their way home from office. This will include a happy hour whereby if you buy one drink, you get another free. Also it will have stand-up comedians, live jazz and illusionists performing during this time. Says Nirmal Momaya, who handles the Fashion Bar and Bistro, ``There is a squeeze on the late night crowd and business is not the same as last year. We are losing revenue by having a place lying vacant all day.''

A D Singh, the man who helped launch Copa Cabana is not surprised that many pubs and night-clubs are looking to redefine their businesses. ``Bar owners must be looking at the success of a place like Geoffrey's and saying we too should try and pull in the after-office crowd.''

One of the most obvious ways to attract crowd and fight competition is to put in a pool table. Three Flights Up, Razzberry Rhinoceros and Cyclone have pool tables. However, even here the competition is hammering prices. The Leela, for instance, has slashedits prices from Rs 100 a game to Rs 50. Its spokesperson, Shoba Patel, however insists this is not due to the growing competition from pool clubs but a gift on the occasion of Cyclone's fifth anniversary. At Buddy's the bowling alley at Nana Chowk one can play Snooker for Rs 50 a game and for regulars there is a special offer whereby you pay Rs 200 for an hour or eight frames. P Misra who helped in conceptualising Buddy's does not believe that this pool centers and pubs are in competition.

One regular pool player disagrees. ``On weekdays I used to often go to a pub or restaurants. But now I can have just as much fun for less money at a pool club. I go to a pub only when I want a drink.''