The CPA behind Penang's Old Havana-inspired hidden gem

To say that Audrey Lim CPA has a brave approach to business is an understatement.

The dynamic Malaysian accountant runs a small hospitality and retail group, Straits Heritage, that includes a cocktail bar, antique shop, boutique accommodation and a new cafe that offers plant-based foods. The mix of interests reflects her love of travel and a desire to bring new ideas back to George Town, the colourful capital city of the state of Penang, Malaysia, on the Straits of Malacca.

“I’d say I have an adventurous spirit,” says Lim, who graduated from the University of Melbourne’s bachelor of commerce degree in 1994. “I love to travel and explore. I want to create spaces and experiences for travellers and locals to have good memories and be happy when they are in George Town.”

How it started

Trips in 2017 and 2018 to Cuba – a destination she describes as “heaven for cocktails” – convinced Lim to bring the flavours of Havana to Malaysia, as well as locally inspired cocktails.

Since 2019, she has run Archipelago Penang, a hidden courtyard cocktail bar that sits out the back of an adjoined little antique shop in Armenian Street, part of a vibrant arts and hospitality precinct in George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Inspired by the cocktail scene and vibe of Old Havana, Archipelago offers a serene site for locals and travellers who want to have a quiet drink and connect with friends and family. Featured in publications such as The New York Times, Monocle in London and Malaysia’s The Yum List, the bar is proving especially trendy among travellers who appreciate an old-school approach of using fresh fruit ingredients for cocktails, rather than flavoured syrups.

 

"Too often, business operators do not pay attention to the basics of accounting and bookkeeping. Many people in the food and beverages industry don’t really do very well in that regard, but, for me, because I’m from an accounting background, I’m very strict and particular with all the documents that we have to keep for income tax purposes."

 

“That’s been very popular,” Lim says. “Nowadays, not many cocktail bars maintain the [traditional] way of preparing cocktails due to cost and time factors, but we still prefer it this way.”

On an extensive drinks list, popular items include the Jungle Bird of Paradise featuring dark rum, pineapple and Campari; a Cuban-inspired daiquiri with dark rum, pineapple and orange juice; the Aki, named after a fictional female character in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice; and a George Town Mule, which is made with ginger grown on nearby hills.

The bar’s drinks, originally created by a bartender from Penang, draw liberally from local produce and spices.

Running the cocktail bar has not always been smooth sailing for Lim. After opening its doors in late 2019, the first pandemic lockdown came just months later, and the bar could not reopen until late 2021.

“Even then, that was only for the Malaysia border-crossing travellers, and our international border in Malaysia did not reopen until about April 2022,” Lim explains.

Such a long closure undoubtedly threatened the survival of the nascent business. However, Lim says a commitment to quirkiness and quality and the popularity of George Town, a city known for its British colonial buildings and Chinese shophouses, have helped Archipelago capture travellers and maintain a local clientele that has anchored its post-pandemic rebound.

“It’s been a great journey,” Lim says.

The pandemic aside, Lim says one of the biggest tests for the business has been a dilemma that afflicts many modern enterprises – recruiting and keeping staff.

“That’s the most difficult part.”

Accounting to the fore

In a market where many people set up bars based on a passion for hospitality without accompanying business skills, Lim says her CPA certification has been vital for her various enterprises.

"Too often, business operators do not pay attention to the basics of accounting and bookkeeping," Lim says.

“Many people in the food and beverages industry don’t really do very well in that regard,” Lim says. “But, for me, because I’m from an accounting background, I’m very strict and particular with the documentation we keep for income tax purposes.”

As she eyes the future, Lim is determined to keep all components of her George Town enterprise thriving – plus a new tearoom that is on the agenda – but admits that the cocktail bar is her best performer.

“Nowadays, when people travel, they look for experiences, and Archipelago gives them that great experience.”

One piece of advice

“If you have an adventurous spirit with business, just do it, because you only live once. Go and achieve your dreams.”