HAPPENING 24/7: It is one of the hangouts that keeps Mbarara’s night life bubbly, writes Colleb Mugume
Club Vegas opened three years ago, as a bar, then it gradually evolved into a night club. Tucked between Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara Police Station and Mbarara High Court in Booma, Club Vegas has grown into a hangout of unequalled prominence in Mbarara.
One wonders how this place nestled on the second floor of the Golf Course Supermarket building has superseded the traditional giants Vision Empire, Another Life Discotheque and The Heats. We would be deceiving if we claim to know and give you the magic Jeff Buyinza, the proprietor, has employed to scale it to fame.
You can’t be sure whether it is because of his unique business acumen that this joint stands out or something else. Jeff, as he is commonly known, says he borrowed the design and name from Club Vegas Rooftop in Las Vegas.
Is it going to happen for a few months and die down like the case with other entertainment businesses in the town such as De Boss and Gabiro? Only time will tell. But for now, if you are in Mbarara any time, any day and you want to unwind, relax and have fun; Club Vegas is the place to be.
It has unlimited parking space, stretching to the precincts of the RDC, lands and Uganda Prisons, Uganda Red Cross and High Court offices.
You will find the cream of the corporate class at Club Vegas. You will also meet university students, government officials, academicians, scribes; all tribes and classes of people.
Good service
The waitresses and waiters are cheerful and warm. Patrons can’t resist all sorts of entertainment from around the world showing on giant flat screens hanging all over the place.
Revellers sit in rectangular formation, leaning against a raised gray glittering counter. There is a pool table on the extreme corner while the opposite end is a barbeque point where skewers of chicken, goat and pork are being prepared.
The near blank space which greets you as you enter is the main dancing arena. It is unroofed and free of chairs and tables, all to give you air and convenience to dance freely to the blaring music.
The screens also display music videos to cater for those who want to watch the faces and drama behind the audio. The nonstop thrilling music ranging from hip hop, Rn’B, dancehall, reggae, oldies to Lingala plays courtesy of DJs Roberto and Med.
Security at Club Vegas is more than tight. The parking lot is patrolled by armed guards to ensure no one breaks into the customers’ vehicles.
Boda Boda cyclists who operate around the joint have been accredited; they are orderly and don reflectors. At the entrance are muscular male and female bouncers who ensure that no enemy of peace enters the place. Armed with metal detectors they scrutinise every patron before they set a foot in the club.Their other task is to weed out the underage and those who appear to been unfit substandard for the place.
Party time
Club Vegas is very lively from Thursday to Sunday. They offer discounts on beers. On Thursday a reveller buys two beers and gets one for free from 9pm to 11pm. It is dubbed Happy Hour. On Friday Heineken and Castle Lite take over with subsidised prices. On Saturday there are soccer predictions sponsored by Guinness. You buy three bottles of Guinness at Shs5,000 and get one for free. If you are soccer fan, you win prizes including cash, T-shirts and Guinness by participating in match predictions.
On Sunday, Club Vegas offers cocktail drinks on discount. For instance Three Wise men that is made up of Jack Daniels, Black Label and Jameson whisky is at only Shs10, 000 from Shs25000. Baby Guinness- made up of Amarula, and Kahlua is at only Shs10,000 from Shs 15,000.
Sex on the Beach is another cocktail drink that club Vegas offers to its clients and it is mostly liked by the females. It is made up of tequila, wine, oranges and ice cream. It is discounted to Shs15,000 from Shs25000.
The food
There is a Sunday buffet with salads, soup, chicken, goat, pork and all varieties of food served at only Shs22,000 with a soft drink. There is variety of muchomo including pork, goat and chicken served, with katogo, roasted matooke or chips at only Shs6,000.
The Prices
Beers Shs5,000
Sodas Shs2,000
Water Shs2,000
Muchomo Shs6,000
Buffet Shs22,000
Fresh fruit juice Shs 5,000
Milk Shake Shs10, 000
African tea Shs6,000
Entry is free