SINGAPORE – By the time Mr Max Ahmad turned 32, he had packed up a six-year career in public service, opened two backpackers’ hostels and launched Singapore’s first halal rooftop bar.

The year was 2017. Atap Bar was carved out of a corner of his second shophouse hostel’s rooftop. He served up mocktails under strings of fairy lights, with nary a drop of alcohol.

“I wanted to show that you can have fun, experience nightlife, without alcohol,” says Mr Max, now 40, who is founder of lifestyle company Seriously Fun Collective.

He has since added on a string of concepts – Wanderlost Lounge, Fairytail Bar, R.I.B. Soul Food and the now-shuttered poolside oyster bar Nauti Nauti.

His e-commerce platform Mockohol, currently closed for restocking and scheduled to reopen by end-2025, sells bottled alcohol-free drinks. He also runs the Halal Mixologist Academy, opened in June 2024, which offers courses on crafting mocktails.

Revenue peaked in 2021 at $5 million. Today, his business brings in close to $2 million annually, supported by a lean team of 15.