So we talked juicy bar stuff with ‘Ping’ Rojanat of #FindTheLockerRoom

We came, we saw, and after like 5 minutes and telephone guidance from my editor, we found the locker room. We then talked to the one and only King Ping to see if he has any juicy bar gossip for us. Here, ‘Ping’ Rojanat Chareonsri of #FindTheLockerRoom spills all.

#FindTheLockerRoom is a fun, intimate drinking spot in Thonglor. It’s a dream project combining the efforts of the dream team: Chennarong Bhumichitr, Colin Chia, Nick Wu, Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn and Hidetsugu Ueno. The entrance can be quite hard to find for newcomers, with guests having to navigate through steel lockers to get to the bar. They recently debuted a new cocktail menu with a throwback theme to the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

The creative brains behind the new menu is ‘Ping’ Rojanat Chareonsri, Beverage Director of the bar. With more than a decade of experience in the bar industry in Washington D.C., he is well-versed when it comes to drinks, to say the least. Classic cocktails? Check. Contemporary creations? Yessir. Ping is also known for wild flavour pairings that are adventurous, yet balanced.

As we arrived at the bar, Ping took a seat, ordered a highball, and asked if I minded if the interview starts after the drink arrives. To add, he then further elaborates that the highball he usually orders, which includes this one, is around 45% whiskey. That’s how I knew I’d get a good interview.

[Hero and featured image credit: Find The Locker Room/Facebook]

Q&A: Talking juicy bar stuff with ‘Ping’ Rojanat of #FindTheLockerRoom

How’s business?

“Good”, Ping says as he takes a sip, “Great, in fact. Things are actually better now than during pre-Covid. People have been locked in their homes and of course, they’re going to miss going to places and joining in on events. When they get a chance to do so, our doors are open.”

Ping also adds how the bar has been regularly getting visits from both local Thais and international folks, which is not only good for business, but adds an air of intimacy.

Let’s talk about the new menu

“I really like the previous menu’s theme (Past, Present, and Future), and I wanted to continue doing something with time as the theme.” He explains, “One day, I stumbled upon a row of these old posters of rock bands, and I was inspired by them. So the new menu featuring the eras of 60s, 70s, and 80s was born.”

When it comes to Ping’s favourite drink on the menu, it’s the one named “Who Wears Short Shorts?”

Short shorts were all the rage back in the 70s. All the women loved them. All the men were wearing them. In fact, it was quite normal for men to wear shorts as short as women’s shorts. The name “Who Wears Short Shorts?” comes from a hair removal products commercial with the very catchy tune of “Who wears short shorts? We wear short shorts!”

With that inspiration in mind, it’s fitting to see a very fun drink that encapsulates the era. “It’s got three layers,” Ping elaborates. “You can choose if you want to taste each layer, or you can try every layer all at once. So if we count it, this cocktail has four tastes in one. That’s how it became my favourite. Plus, it’s not a weak drink, and that’s a good thing.”

On that note, if you were a cocktail, what cocktail would you be?

“That’s an interesting question.” Ping laughs. “I would be a highball—I’m a simple guy, but I pack a punch.” Considering how strong he usually has his highball, we find this is very fitting indeed.

What’s the worst customer experience you ever had?

“I used to work in a standalone bar before this,” Ping explains, “and let’s say that it was a position that allowed me to tell someone to f*ck off.”

We love a simple answer that packs a punch—similar to a highball.

What about the best?

After some thought, and some more highball to lubricate, Ping says that he doesn’t really have a “best” customer experience. “Just when people recognise you, recognise your drinks, and keep coming back for them—that’s my favourite part of the whole experience I have with the industry.”

What’s your go-to drunk food?

Ping recommends something warm and soupy, specifically Moo Sub Tom Buay (Minced Pork and Sour Plum Soup), a peppery and very soothing soup that has a slight tang of pickled plums. It’s a homecooked delicacy perfect for cold weather, or in this case, when you’re trying to cool down from all the alcohol you’ve had in the evening.

Where do you like to hang out on your day off?

“In general, at home,” Ping responds. “If at bars, it depends on who I want to see. If I want to see Niks [Anuman-Rajadhon], I go to Asia Today. If I want to see Frederico [Balzarini], I go to Vesper.”

What’s a current bar trend that you hate?

Without much hesitation, Ping exclaims: “Bubbly foam on top of cocktails. Like, it’s good for content, sure, but for taste and texture, it adds nothing valuable to the drink. It just adds to the cost.”

What’s the secret to run a bar?

The first thing Ping remarks is to treat your staff well. “When you treat your staff well, your staff is happy. If your staff is happy to work, your customers are happy. When your customers are happy, you’re happy. The effort goes a long way.”

To close, he also has a tip if you want to get started in the bar industry: “Find good partners you can trust, then allocate them to one thing that they can do well. This one is good at marketing, let them do that. That one is good at keeping the bar running, have them stay at that.”

Bonus question: how did you get started being a bartender?

After we finished with our set of questions, Ping smiles and says, “You never asked me the question I was hoping for.” And so, we get to this one: how did Ping’s journey in the bar industry begin?

“I got started in this business to talk to girls, man.” He laughs, “I was in a bar one day and I saw the bartender. Then I thought to myself ‘Wow, this guy has a lot of girls talking to him’, and that’s what I did: become a bartender.”

We also asked if he got what he was aiming for, and a resounding “Yeah!” was the answer. Thanks for the wisdom, Ping.

#FindTheLockerRoom is located at 406 Thong Lo Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok. They’re open daily from 6pm-1.30am. You can contact them via call at 098-287-1898, or on Facebook, and Instagram.