New Signboard

Finally got around to replace our signboard. The new signboard definitely looks brighter and cheerful!

Special thanks to Jay from Tsubakistudio.

May PMS. It's the time of the month again!

May PMS is just around the corner!

Pitstoppers Meetup Session (PMS) is an event for all board games lovers to have fun and get to know new friends.

Date: 25th May 2010 Tuesday

Time: 6.00 pm to 10.30pm

There will be gaming, free flow of drinks and 20% discount off additional orders. Best of all it is free! This event is open to everyone. Simply register for the event so that we know who will becoming.

See ya!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

Stitch is Back!

Special thanks to our crew Haopeng for getting this toy for us after ours went bonkus! So be careful of its bite the next time you are at the cafe!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

WeeKee

Misplaced Camera

We realized our camera had gone missing on Saturday night together with the week of photo. It must have been mixed up with the customers' cameras.

If anyone of you has accidentally took our camera by mistake, do give us a call at 6535 5383 or leave a message on our site.

Thanks!

WeeKee

April PMS. It's the time of the month.

April PMS is just around the corner!

Pitstoppers Meetup Session (PMS) is an event for all board games lovers to have fun and get to know new friends.

Date: 27th April 2010 Tuesday

Time: 6.00 pm to 10.30pm

There will be gaming, free flow of drinks and 20% discount off additional orders. Best of all it is free! This event is open to everyone. Simply register for the event so that we know who will becoming.

See ya!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

Pitstop Hot Chick

Sometime customers ask for recommendation on game packages and I would definitely recommend the Pitstop package. It is not because it is the most expensive but rather I find it quite good value.

There is soup of the day, a choice of any of the main courses and a drink. It also comes with 2 hour of gaming. Some might also notice that we have also actually allocated additional 30 minutes for serving and eating time so that you still have plenty of time for gaming after your meal.

When it comes to main courses, my personal favorite is the sambal chicken chop. When it comes to making spicy stuff, my mum is really good. When she is stirring the sambal chilli, I can't even get close to it without coughing. Somehow she manages to do it with ease.

And this is mum (very fierce!)...

and this is our hot chick, sambal chicken chop!

Oh yes, before I forget, the Pitstop package is available at only $14.90. So do come and check out our hot chick!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

WeeKee

Personal response to a status update that i did

Some of you might know that we are having a rough situation on our Facebook page regarding a customer complaint. We have explained the situation to the customer and have not commented further on it since.

I find it pointless to discuss the matter further but recent comments have personally attack and wrongly accused Evelyn of doing certain things that was actually done by me. I find it necessary to clarify some of the comments.

On the Status Update

I was the one that left the following status update on our Facebook page.

"some customers are so ridiculous that they called for delivery and have food delivered to the cafe. sigh. Don't we deserve a bit of respect?"

I was very upset over the fact that someone had outside food delivered to the cafe without the courtesy of first checking with us.

Does it matter that we did not have a wide selection of food or only certain food items are available or the delivery man offered to deliver to food? Not to me. Equating inadequate choice as the right to consume outside food is not a fair one.

The main point is that the least one could do is first check with us prior to ordering and asked if we are alright with it. I was upset that this minimum level of respect was not even given.

Was it right to post this on the Facebook page? Some might think it is wrong to do it or that we are complaining. To me, this is not about right or wrong. It is a choice that we made, a choice that was made since the cafe started. For those who are aware, we have been blogging and sharing about happenings in the cafe since we started in 2005.

We share with readers the challenges that we faced, happy moments as well as unhappy moments. Similarly for this case, this is something that made me really upset and hence I share it. The intention was never to complain but to express my personal disappointment with the incident.

We share what we feel, be it good and bad and yet we can also be accused of saying even worse things behind our customers back just because we shared something that we are unhappy about?

On making a big issue

Customer can leave whatever comments they like and as business we will be the one suffering the impact. It is not in our best interest to make a big issue over this incident.

When our staff went over to explain to the customers that no outside food is allowed, we hoped that the customers would have accepted it. When they requested to see Evelyn and Evelyn communicated the same policy, we hoped that it was accepted. When we asked the customers to consume their food downstairs we hoped that they understood that they need to consume the food outside the premise. They choose to interpret it as eating by the roadside.

In the end they did not consume any food on our premise after our repeated refusals but then again when did we ever said that they did?

We could have communicated better but like in life shit happened and planets mis-aligned. We will learn from this.

One-sided story

Did we provide only a one-sided perspective? We did not delete any of the comments. When the customer choose to complain publicly on our Facebook page, we did not remove the entry. We thanked her for her feedback and responded to her feedback.

The response from the customer is that the complaint is not meant to be a feedback but to inform the rest of the consumers the bad experience she had with the cafe and not wish to see more happy consumers come out disappointed like them after patronizing the cafe. If that is indeed the intention, a reminder to consumers not to bring in outside food would more than suffice.

We respect her opinion and we did not delete her post. We have our thoughts on the incident as well and we shared our side of story. If there is anything that required clarification, the channels are always open for anyone to pen their thoughts. We continue to be open as long as no one touches on sensitive subjects like religion or try to spam the wall with fake Rolexes and breast/penis enlargement links.

Improvements

We have never said that we are in the right. We handled the situation as best as we can and we will learn from this. We have also put up a notice to inform customers that no outside food is allowed.

We will look into crafting a standardize response to inform customers to consume their food outside the cafe so that the intention will not be misinterpreted. Maybe some of you guys can help to give some suggestion.

Parting Thoughts

I treasure the opportunity to manage Pitstop Cafe. It is not about the money. Of course I will need the money to sustain the business but it goes beyond just beyond serving customers because they pay the salary and rental. (And it hurts when customers use it to prove a point)

Through these years of operating the business, I have lots of fond memories about Pitstop. I have seen some of the guys from their poly days to their botak days in NS and now stepping into the working society. I witnessed customers that came to the cafe first as friends, then as couple, broke up, come back together again and now happily married. Others from students to adults and now with babies. It is just a wonderful privilege to be part of it.

I also have the privilege to work with a team of really fantastic crew. Some have left the cafe and move on to achieving greater things in life. For the current crew, I have no doubt that they will also subsequently achieve greater success and I am really proud that Pitstop Cafe is part of their growing phase.

I believe that customers and service crew deserve equal respect. I believe customer service is a relationship based on equality and goes beyond who is paying the bill.

We are not perfect but we will strive to make Pitstop Cafe a fun hangout for our customers and our service crew. Perhaps like what the customer said, Pitstop Cafe might wind up our business before we know it. Even then, I would still stick to this belief.

I like to take this opportunity to thank all friends and customers for your support and apologize if some of you are drawn into this. For the group of customers affected by this incident, I regret that we are still not able to get your understanding in this. Thanks again for visiting Pitstop Cafe.

WeeKee

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

March PMS. It's the time of the month.

Pitstoppers Meetup Session (PMS) is an event for all board games lovers to have fun and get to know new friends.

Date: 30th Mar 2010 Tuesday

Time: 6.00 pm to 10.30pm

There will be gaming, free flow of drinks and 20% discount off additional orders. Best of all it is free! This event is open to everyone. Simply register for the event so that we know who will becoming.

We may be organizing a 10 players F1 race so check back for updates.

See ya!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

Pitstop Promotion on Sunday 28th Feb!

To celebrate the 15th day of Chinese New Year, we will like to offer this 1 time promotion to all our customers on: SUNDAY 28th Feb 2010

5 HOURS of GAMING!

&

FREE FLOW DRINKS!

At only $10/pax.

And in addition, every group with 5 pax and above gets a Free Basket of Finger Food!

So call Pitstop for reservation now! Alternatively, send us your online reservation. Limited seats only.

T&C Applies.

February PMS

Pitstoppers Meetup Session (PMS) is an event for all board games lovers to have fun and get to know new friends.

Date: 23rd Feb 2010 Tuesday

Time: 6.00 pm to 10.30pm

There will be gaming, free flow of drinks and 20% discount off additional orders. Best of all it is free! This event is open to everyone. Simply register for the event so that we know who will becoming. See ya!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

Happy Lunar New Year

We would like to wish all our customers a happy, joyous and prosperous lunar new year. May all of you get lots of Ang Baos!

We will be close from 13th February (Saturday) to 16th February (Tuesday). We will resume our operations on 17th February (Wednesday).

Yu Sheng - Guide To Lo Hei

View more presentations from WeeKee .

See ya!

Pitstop Cafe, Gong Xi Gong Xi!

January PMS

Pitstoppers Meetup Session (PMS) is an event for all board games lovers to have fun and get to know new friends.

Date: 26th Jan 2010

Time: 6pm to 10pm

There will be gaming, free flow of drinks and 20% discount off additional orders. Best of all it is free! This event is open to everyone. Simply register for the event so that we know who will be attending. See ya!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

Merry Christmas!

We will like to wish all our customers, supporters, crew, ex-crew, friends and families

A Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

May Pitstop grow with you through the years.

Cheers to a Wonderful 2010!

Happy Birthday Pitstop Cafe

Pitstop Cafe is 4 years old today. 4 years seem like a short time that is till you realized that within this period of time, some of the regular customers have gone through the phases of their teens, entered NS, ORD and started their career.

The even years birthdays are always significant. Every 2 years our lease is up and we have to make the decision if we should continue or call it a day. The first 2 years were easy. As we had just started, it is obvious that we would continue for another 2 years.

Yet till last month, we wasn't sure if Pitstop Cafe would actually celebrate its 4th birthday. All of us have since then graduated from school and now busy with our careers, marriage plans, etc.

Somehow one thing leads to another or perhaps it was destiny, we decided to carry on for another 2 years. We like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to the current crew, ex crew and all the customers for your support over the past years.

We hope you will continue to support us and that Pitstop Cafe will always be remembered as the place where you have fun, laughter and great memories with your friends!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of fun!

WeeKee

Pitstop Cafe, a big thank you to all!

Time flies and next Wednesday, Pitstop Cafe is 4 years old! A big thank you for all of you who have supported us for the past few years and of course not forgetting the Pitstop crews who have made everything possible.

On 16th December, we are planning a simple party to thank everyone. From 6pm to 11pm, there will be free flow of drinks and games. There will also be a 20% discount off total bill. In additional, we might be also organizing a Bingo session where prizes will be won (still working on the details).

So do register for the event at our Facebook page. Hope to see you there.

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

Getting more games!

We will be updating our game library with more new games. If you have a great game to recommend, drop us a comment!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

Quick update

Actually this isn't exactly an update. Some friends are asking why there isn't anymore updates on this blog or if we guys are still alive and kicking.

Well we are still around but been occupy with a couple of things. Hope to provide more updates soon.

At the meantime, be part of the fun and remember to tag your photos in our Facebook page! :)

weekee

Happy National Day!

Living in Singapore has its ups and downs. What matter most at the end of the day is to remember that your loved ones will always be here for you.


"This is where I won't be alone, for this is where I know it is home."

On behalf of Pitstop Cafe, I wish everyone a Happy National Day!

WeeKee

Board Game Review - Hansa

Hansa is one of the those good board games that occassionally slide under the radar. Hopefully this review would do the game some justice. Read on and I belive you will like this hidden gem.

Overview

Hansa is a game for 2 to 4 players by Michael Schact and published by Uberplay. In this game, players are merchants of the Hanseatic League (aka Hansa). Players get to control a ship that travels to different ports of the Baltic area. Through the trading of goods at the various ports, players gain victory points.

Game Components

Despite the small box packaging, the game components are of high quality. The game board is beautifully illustrated and function well though I would prefer it to be slightly bigger.

The single sheet rulebook is simple and well layout with clear illustrations and examples.

The game bits are simple but of great quality as what you would expect of Eurogames.

The beautifully crafted wooden ship definitely gives this game its unique character.

I believe you would agree that the Thalers (currency used in the game) look just as great!

The round wooden chips represent the market booths in the game...

and of course the goods that players get to buy.

Game Play

Players strive to get the most victory points and this is mainly done through selling of goods and setting up of their market booths in different ports. Players can move the ship through different shipping routes and visit different ports to buy goods.

Rhis task is not as simple as it looks. Moving the ship and buying of the goods require players to pay Thalers. However players get only 3 Thalers at the start of their turn and can only keep a limited amount of Thalers and goods at the end of their turn. Planning a good shipping route is crucial to do well in this game.

Apart from buying goods, players need to also setup their market booths. Market booths play an important strategic role in the game.

Being a market leader in any port (most number of market booths) will allow the player to get the goods for free. Other players wanting to buy goods at the port will have to pay the market leader as well.

They are also crucial for players to sell their goods. Although players can buy goods at any ports, they can only sell their goods in ports which they have at least a market booth. To sell their goods, players need to sell at least 2 of the same goods (based on the color).

Selling goods will enable player to gain victory points. The more goods (by number of barrels) you sell, the more points you get at the end of the game.

Though the gameplay sounds simple, what make Hansa really shines is that it requires players to make tough decisions.

At each port, players can only perform one of the 3 actions (buying goods, selling goods or setting up their markets). Hence players need to plan their routes well.

Each action also has its trade off. To setup their market booths, players need to discard their goods which mean that they have less goods to sell for victory points.

Similarly, selling goods at a port requires players to give up one of their existing market booth. Selling goods also mean that you have less goods that can be used to setup the market booths.

Wrestling with the decisions is what makes Hansa challenging and deeply satisfying.

Game Theme

I like the the trading theme in the game. The gameplay and component fits the theme well. Using the Hanseatic league is a nice touch, bringing players back the trading era of the middle ages.

The different colors of the goods work well in the game but I think having different type of goods such as corn, sugar, etc, would make the game theme even better.

Conclusion

Hansa is a great game which I think deserves more attention. The decision making part of the game is interesting and satisfying as players try to come up with the most effective sequence of decisions.

This is also a more tactical game instead of a strategical game. It is hard to plan ahead in this game since what you can do is highly dependent on the actions taken by the previous players. The shipping routes could also get a bit repetitive which could affect the replayability of this game.

There could also be moments of downtime as players can get stuck in analysis paralysis during their turn but it isn't really that big deal considering the quality of the gameplay that you get from the game.

So if you have yet try Hansa, it is definitely one of the hidden gems worth checking out.

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

WeeKee

Board Game Review - Chicken Cha Cha Cha

This a game review of a pretty simple but interesting board game called Chicken Cha Cha Cha. It isn't a game with deep game mechanics or strategy but if you looking for filler game, this game is a pretty good choice with its fun theme and simple gameplay. 

Overview

Ready for some cha cha cha?

Chicken Cha Cha Cha is a game for up to 4 players. It is basically a memory game but the designer, Klaus Zoch has design a really fun theme base on this simple concept. Each player has a chicken with a feather. Players will race their chickens in a track, trying to overtake their opponents' chicken and steal their feathers. The first player to steal all the feathers will be the winner!

Game Components

The main game componets are of course the 4 wooden chickens and I like these wooden game pieces. They just have a timeless feel to it.

The rest of the components include oval pieces with matching hexagaonal pieces of different pictures. The artwork is simple but vibrant which really goes well with the theme.

Game Play

This game is a simple memory game. A track is formed using the oval shape pieces and each player chicken are placed on it at roughly the same distance apart.

The chickens will race around this track. 

To race your chicken around the track, you need find the hexagonal piece that matches the picture shown in the step in front of you.

If you manage to find the matching picture, your chicken will get to move one step forward and you get another chance to open a hexagonal piece. So as long as you can find the matching pictures, you get to keep moving your chicken and this is where put your memory skills to the test.

If you are fast enough, you (the green chicken in this case) can catch up to other players' chicken. This is where the fun part begin. 

If you open the matching picture, you get to leap past your opponent's chicken...

and steal its feathers. However players can always take their revenge and steal back the feathers by overtaking each other. This ritual of lossing your feathers and stealing other chicken's feathers will continue until the winning chicken emerges with all the feathers on its back.

Game Theme

The theme is where I think the game really shines. Although the game play is simple and many would have played similar memory game, the theme of having chicken racing around the track and stealing each other feathers is a fun and interesting one. 

Conclusion

On the first look, Chicken Cha Cha Cha would seem like a game just for kids but if you give it a try you could see that it is a pretty enjoyable filler for all. The game is simple but the racing theme and stealing of the feathers can make the gameplay really enjoyable. 

The pace of the game can also get pretty intense as players try to gain the lead after stealing the feathers while the trailing player try to catch up. Since the stealer reveals the path ahead, it is easy for the trailing player to catch up. This helps to level the game and makes it more enjoyable for all players.

Chicken Cha Cha Cha is not a deep strategy game for most Eurogame lovers but if you are looking a simple filler game with a fun theme to start off your gaming session, do give this game a try!

Pitstop Cafe, be part of the fun!

WeeKee