EXPAT: Opening up a small restaurant in BKK - ADVICE PLS! :)

[lemoncake]

Surest way to lose money in Thailand, open up a new restaurant. Especially, if you do not have any previous experience in restaurant business.

When did OP say he did not have experience?

Why is it that those who are not capable of achieving much themselves like to bring others down?

Do you have a restaurant? do you still have it? well i guess it can work then

If you do not have it anymore, just because you failed does not mean others would.

Not trying to bring anyone down, it is just that here in SR I see people opening restaurants all the time; the vast majority fail within months due to lack of a business plan/funds/concept. Just because someone dines out a lot doesn't mean it makes that person an expert at running a restaurant. If the OP has a lot of experience, great! Just did not seem like it form the original post.

For every restaurant that fails, another one does well.

Hence why have so many.

I am sure a stupid foreigner has as much brain as an uneducated farmer making somtam

[hanno]

Surest way to lose money in Thailand, open up a new restaurant. Especially, if you do not have any previous experience in restaurant business.

When did OP say he did not have experience?

Why is it that those who are not capable of achieving much themselves like to bring others down?

Do you have a restaurant? do you still have it? well i guess it can work then

If you do not have it anymore, just because you failed does not mean others would.

Not trying to bring anyone down, it is just that here in SR I see people opening restaurants all the time; the vast majority fail within months due to lack of a business plan/funds/concept. Just because someone dines out a lot doesn't mean it makes that person an expert at running a restaurant. If the OP has a lot of experience, great! Just did not seem like it form the original post.

For every restaurant that fails, another one does well.

Hence why have so many.

I am sure a stupid foreigner has as much brain as an uneducated farmer making somtam

30 years in the hospitality business and I would say for every successful restaurant there are 30 that fail.

[stoli]

Surest way to lose money in Thailand, open up a new restaurant. Especially, if you do not have any previous experience in restaurant business.

When did OP say he did not have experience?

Why is it that those who are not capable of achieving much themselves like to bring others down?

Do you have a restaurant? do you still have it? well i guess it can work then

If you do not have it anymore, just because you failed does not mean others would.

Lemoncake, I don't think anyone is trying to bring the OP down, but to wake him up. When you jump from wanting open a restaurant, to well maybe a language school, what is next? Maybe a hair salon? Maybe we are jumping to conclusions and maybe the OP has owned a restaurant, but I am betting my TV subscription the answer is no. Just trying to give helpful advice before someone loses a lot of money. Would be better off taking lessons on how to put your head in a crocodile's mouth. Less painful than a restaurant.

See post 10

See post 22. The OP is back, and does not have restaurant expertise. I can not reiterate again on what a longshot opening a restaurant is. And yes, I have built and owned a successful restaurant before. You can keep the doors open, but to make it successful you need to be there 24/7. Management is the key, and there is not enough profit to hire a bunch of managers to oversee your operation. The only way to afford managers is to own multiple restaurants, each earning a profit that allows for such an expense. This is why franchises are no longer willing to let you have one location. They now force you to sign a contract promising to open five locations within 2 years. They know that you will never have a life with one location. I wish the OP good luck in whatever his pursuit is.

[lemoncake]

See post 22. The OP is back, and does not have restaurant expertise. I can not reiterate again on what a longshot opening a restaurant is. And yes, I have built and owned a successful restaurant before. You can keep the doors open, but to make it successful you need to be there 24/7. Management is the key, and there is not enough profit to hire a bunch of managers to oversee your operation. The only way to afford managers is to own multiple restaurants, each earning a profit that allows for such an expense. This is why franchises are no longer willing to let you have one location. They now force you to sign a contract promising to open five locations within 2 years. They know that you will never have a life with one location. I wish the OP good luck in whatever his pursuit is.

For any business to be successful, owner has to work it 24/7.

No business makes huge profits in first year, it takes time and determination together with hard work to make it work Edited July 27, 2013 by lemoncake

[lemoncake]

30 years in the hospitality business and I would say for every successful restaurant there are 30 that fail.

So what? you would not take a risk with odds 1to 30?

[lemoncake]

30 years in the hospitality business and I would say for every successful restaurant there are 30 that fail.

So what? you would not take a risk with odds 1to 30?

[hanno]

30 years in the hospitality business and I would say for every successful restaurant there are 30 that fail.

So what? you would not take a risk with odds 1to 30?

I would. But unlike may, I would do proper market research and make darn sure I don't run out of money after 2 months.

[Seb Bu]

Please see post 29 ->

What are common problems and traps you faced REGARDING LEGISLATION, OWNERSHIP AND WORK-PERMIT while launching?

[lemoncake]

Please see post 29 ->

What are common problems and traps you faced REGARDING LEGISLATION, OWNERSHIP AND WORK-PERMIT while launching?

Seb Bu, you are asking the wrong people and you will not get the answers you need.

There are no legislation in regards to restaurant, you just need food license, which can be obtained without even an inspection.

With regards to ownership, there is no way around but to have Thai's, unless you are an American.

WP legal way is to have 4 Thai staff, along with few dozens of papers, there use to be ways without it, but is getting harder and they require pics of your staff together with you in your workplace.

There is no backdoor, no tricks or anything else. It is pretty straight forward, just down to costs and speed of law office to set it all up.

There are hundreds of people , foreigners who own and run businesses and while not all get rich, many make enough to have a comfortable life.

It is not easy and is hard work, even more so in Thailand, because staff is the biggest problem. Cooks often like to drink and are alcoholics, service staff unreliable and happy to see things missing.

So to make your business work, you would need to be there for most of the time, see what people want, not want, complain, praise etc and adjust it as you go along.

Have enough capital to get you by for about 2 years, because there are always unexpected costs, etc.

Edited July 27, 2013 by lemoncake

[belg]

a guy with a lot of dreams

will soon come down when reality hits

[lemoncake]

a guy with a lot of dreams

will soon come down when reality hits

Just because you failed or not capable , does not mean others will and are not.

[bangkokstick]

I have a better idea ! Take all your money into some dingy hotel room, throw it in the air as hard as you can, keep what sticks to the ceiling and walk away ! This from someone who has been in business here for well over 30 years, and seen hundreds leave with their hat in their hand, and little more. Sad to say, but everything is against you.

If after 30 years I would still need to do any business I would consider myself as a loser :-)

[onthemoon]

30 years in the hospitality business and I would say for every successful restaurant there are 30 that fail.

So what? you would not take a risk with odds 1to 30?

I would. But unlike may, I would do proper market research and make darn sure I don't run out of money after 2 months.

I opened my company here in Thailand in 2008, in the middle of the Global Financial Crisis. Everybody predicted the company would fail in the economic environment.

We have had double-digit growth every year. Why? Because I have been in my industry here in Thailand for about 20 years, I know what the customers want and the market does not offer. And yes, I did some additional research before taking the plunge from a comfortable employee-situation.

So, if you know what you are doing, odds of 1 to 30 mean nothing. Your knowledge of the market does. I do recommend to the OP, who has no experience in the restaurant market, to partner with someone who does.

[onthemoon]

I have a better idea ! Take all your money into some dingy hotel room, throw it in the air as hard as you can, keep what sticks to the ceiling and walk away ! This from someone who has been in business here for well over 30 years, and seen hundreds leave with their hat in their hand, and little more. Sad to say, but everything is against you.

If after 30 years I would still need to do any business I would consider myself as a loser :-)

I disagree. Doing business is not about getting rich and then spend the rest of your life in retirement. If that's what you want, you will probably not succeed.

Opening your own company is about passion, about making it better than your competitors. You won't get rich if you don't have that passion. And if you do have that passion, you will probably not retire anytime soon.