Meet Francesca Aurora Way: the entrepreneur and DJ shaking Singapore's nightlife scene

There’s a reason why Nineteen80, Pinball Wizard, and new kid on the block Rails make attractive stomping grounds for many millennial night owls in Singapore (well, before the circuit breaker): there’s nothing quite like them. Nineteen80 powers up with arcade machines and interiors decked with 80s Memphis and synth-wave designs; Pinball Wizard has pinball machines and is bathed in vibrant hues and retro designs à la the 70s; and steampunk-inspired Rails looks like something straight out of the Victorian era. 

The brains behind these thematic nightlife concepts are none other than A Phat Cat Collective, a lifestyle group consisting of Francesca Aurora Way, Joshua Pillai, and Yafith A. Hamid (YA5TH).

This International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting co-founder Francesca who also doubles as the marketing director of A Phat Cat Collective. The cool cat has always had her night vision set on the after-hours scene, cutting her teeth in marketing at Cé La Vi (or Ku Dé Ta back then) at the young age of 22 before climbing her way up to become head of marketing where she has helped launch some of their international ventures. It was also the place where she met Joshua and Yafith who were heading up the Entertainment team then. “After I left, we had some quirky ideas that we thought would make great nightlife concepts, and from there we decided to embark on our own venture.”

Her nightlife gig doesn’t even stop there – she’s also a DJ. So what makes Francesca determined to shake up the nightlife scene in Singapore? We chat with her about her biggest inspiration, her new bar Rails, the challenges that come with being a female DJ, and the very moment that empowers her to do what she does best – kicking major derrière as a nightlife entrepreneur.

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Who is your biggest inspiration?

Cheesy as it sounds, it’s probably my mum. She used to own a restaurant back in the day – a French restaurant called Crêperie Ar-men which was a regular feature on Time Out’s top 50 restaurants then. She started it with no professional restaurateur experience, and was such a strong boss and mother. She taught me that there wasn’t anything I can’t achieve if I put my mind to it.

What about Singapore’s nightlife scene that draws you to open Nineteen80, Pinball Wizard and Rails?

We felt that the scene could use something that went back to the human connection. A ‘club’ is a place where you connect with people, and perhaps, in the interest of profit or chasing trends, we felt that some places haven’t quite prioritised this. We knew then that whatever we did, we wanted to use some creativity to bring out that element of fun and engagement in our programme and the little details.

Unlike its sister bars, Rails is not centred around gaming. What inspired you to create a steampunk-style bar?

The steampunk aesthetic has always been something that appealed strongly to me. When we were doing some research on it, we were surprised to find that a bar/club concept like this hasn’t been explored much. 

On top of that, when we secured our location in Tanjong Pagar, we were really inspired by the neighbourhood – first with the iconic Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, which we based our concept around a steampunk train station, and Jinrikisha Station, a former rickshaw station right opposite. 

To us, steampunk is about taking history and past, and creating a world of possibilities through imagination and invention. From that, our cocktails play with absurd and out-of-the-box ingredients such as pei pa koa in the Apothecary, banana milk in the World of Tomorrow, and activated charcoal in the Murder in the Orient Express.

Walk us through the process of launching Rails. What are some of the highs and lows of opening a venue during the pandemic?

Not gonna lie – literally, everything in our opening plan had to change. We were originally slated to open in April 2020, but we couldn’t as not only were renovations halted and delayed, we needed to pivot the entire concept from a house music dance club to more of a bar and lounge with a bigger focus on the food and cocktails. 

We had to wait, lobby and redeploy our team for nine months from the time we were closed to get some clarity in regulations and assistance from the government on how we could move forward as a nightlife business, which means we had no income for most of 2020. 

The big silver lining is that we have an amazing food partner now – Chix Hot Chicken, who have opened their second outlet at our venue with some of the best chicken sliders I’ve had in my life (and as a fried chicken-lover, I don’t say that lightly), and with an extensive meat-free menu to boot. 

The most important thing is to be quick to adapt to the situation, and don’t be afraid to try new things.

Besides being a part of A Phat Cat Collective, you also DJ. How did your love for DJ-ing come about and what kind of sound draws you to it?

I have always loved music – I grew up on a diet of MTV for most of my teenage years. But having started my career in nightlife and being surrounded by some of the most prominent DJs in the scene, I was exposed to a whole new outlook on music. 

I was particularly drawn to the Sunset Sessions at Cé La Vi that fluidly explored many genres in a set just to soundtrack the colours of the sun setting on the Singapore skyline – that to me was pure magic. I take that with me to this day, and keep my sound versatile as I go, from downtempo hip-hop, house, Afro-Latin, nu-disco, funk and soul.

What’s one thing you love about being a DJ?

Besides being able to influence the mood and energy in a space, the biggest thing I’m appreciative of is the wild places that DJ-ing has brought me. 

Just locally, I’ve played in the old Kallang airport, Tuck Lee Ice Factory at -5 degrees celsius, Siloso beach at 4am, the VIP Twenty3 complex at the F1 Singapore GP, the backyard of a massive black and white colonial house, and the Artscience Museum, just to name as few. DJ-ing has even brought me abroad to Kuala Lumpur and London.

There aren’t a lot of women DJs – do you think there’s a sort of sexist stereotype?

I do think there’s a certain typecast and mindset when it comes to female DJs. The sad truth is that, in an industry where vices can be rampant, female DJs and women in the nightlife industry historically are subject to more sexualisation and objectification.

There are gigs that specifically call for a female DJ to make the event ‘look good’ and the musical ability is secondary to not required. But I don’t want to be part of that stereotype and I refuse to be a ‘bikini DJ’ because I am presenting my style of music, not my looks. And because the music I play can be pretty niche I do try to make sure that the venues that book me understand that and are engaging me for my sound.

What are some ways we can smash these stereotypes?

Truthfully, I still don’t know the answer to this. I was once [part of] a conversation where a prominent DJ in Singapore – in the context of another female DJ – said in front of me, “I hate female DJs. They’re all divas.” I was shocked and speechless. I didn’t know how to respond. In hindsight, I wish I had the words and courage to respond, and I wish the other people in that conversation did too.

Do you have a favourite local woman DJ?

One of my favourites is Amanda Keisha Ang, or A/K/A Sounds, who also leads a crew that champions female-identifying DJs called Attagirl. I also really love DJ Nicolette, who was our resident DJ for Pinball Wizard. She is a mother to two kids and had just given birth four months prior to starting her residency.

What empowers you the most?

My supportive business partners and work family [who are inspiring and uplifting]. And doing something I’m passionate about. If I only cared about making money and having a ‘safe’ job, I wouldn’t have started off doing something that was just fun and interesting to me. I wouldn’t have then discovered this industry and I doubt I would have been a business owner by the time I was 27 years old.

Share a personal moment of empowerment for you.

I would say that one of the most empowering moments was when we attended the Singapore Tourism Awards 2019 for Nineteen80’s nomination of Best Nightspot. Nineteen80 was within its first year of operations, and we were nominated among the big boys of the scene like Zouk, Manhattan and 1-Altitude. I felt so much validation in what we’ve built is something special and unique. We didn’t win the award in the end, but I definitely felt like a winner that night.

If I only cared about making money and having a ‘safe’ job... I wouldn’t have discovered this industry, and I doubt I would've been a business owner by the time I was 27 years old.

What is your message for International Women’s Day?

I read this a while back – men apply for jobs when they meet 60% of the qualifications, and women apply for jobs only if they meet 100%. So if you’re given an opportunity don’t be afraid to take that leap even if you feel unprepared. Believe in your worth and do it.

Lastly, what do you look forward to the most in the coming months?

Bring on the travel bubbles! World domination plans aside, my girlfriends and I agree – would it be too much to ask if we could even just go to Bintan at this point?