MEET TAKO CHANG

The Lower East Side bar, Double Chicken Please, has been getting a lot of attention lately…and for good reason. There’s often a line around the block to get a table at DCP. But trust me, it’s worth the wait!

The internationally renowned bar in NYC, which was recently crowned The Best Bar in North America 2023 and The Best Bar in Northeast USA 2023 by The 50 Best Bars. I had the pleasure of chatting with Tako Chng, the Manager of Brand Marketing & PR Communication for DCP. Check out what she had to share below!

Before we jump into talking about Double Chicken Please and the amazing work you’re doing, I’d love to hear about you and your story and some of the experiences that brought you to this point in your career.

I'm originally from Taiwan. But I have a pretty complex background as I was born in Japan. My family moved back to Taiwan for about 7, 8 years because of my dad’s job. So we all moved to China. From China, I went to study in Malaysia for about 8 years. After that, I double majored in Marketing and Events Management. So I did my very first internship with Ogilvy in Malaysia in PR. Initially, I actually majored in PR. But it’s not until you get into PR that you know what you’re starting. So I had no idea what I was doing until I had my first internship. And I'm like, oh, a lot of deadlines. Probably not my cup of tea. So I switched my major to events management.

Then, I started my second internship back in Shanghai with Ogilvy again. And that is when I realized this is something that I really want to do. Yeah, I can see myself doing this. And in both internships my clients were Heineken. And the funny part is, my family doesn’t drink!

So right before I graduated, Heineken actually offered me a job, and I took it in Shanghai. So there goes my whole experience with alcoholic beverages. I was with Heineken for about 4 years doing brand marketing, trade marketing a little bit of sales. But what I enjoyed the most is still with the brands. After that I moved on to Bacardi. That’s where I met Faye, one of the owners of DCP.

What is the significance of the name, Double Chicken Please?

You know this name is not named after this bar. GN studied industrial design. And he wanted to open a design studio with his best friend. But down the road, his career just shifted. He had no money, he was broke. So he had to find a way to survive. So he walked into a a bar in Taiwan looking for a job. That’s where he met Faye and his 2 passions-performing and design-collided. From there, he decided he wanted to open a bar where he could showcase both passions. So he did and he named DCP after the bar where he was first inspired. That’s the origin story of where the name came from.

What was it like to be named best bar in North America?

It's not easy. None of us thought that we would be given such a high ranking. We thought maybe 30 something, 20 something. Whatever it was, we were going to be so happy and thrilled.

Do you have any advice for budding marketers and PR professionals thinking about pursuing a career in the spirits or F&D industry?

From my personal experience, my advice is you just need to make sure that you are doing something that you love on a personal level. My life motto is do something that you enjoy the most!

I read that you’re not much of a drinker. Do you have a go-to mocktail for times you want to relax and let your hair down.

I like to be fancy a little bit! It depends on the setting. If I'm out with a friends or going to a bar, I would like to have something that’s more than just sparkling water with a wedge of lime. Personally, I like something sour. I enjoy the freshness! I really like a virgin Bloody Mary-I enjoy that a lot. I’m always open to enjoy something spicy, something very savory, or very opposite of my culture.