Should my wife open a Greek restaurant in Hua Hin?

[PeterHuaHin2]

Hi Guys,

My wife is getting bored of being a housewife and was thinking of opening a traditional Greek restaurant somewhere in the central of Hua HIn? Just wanted some opinions if you think this would be something the Hua HIn Expats and Locals would like? She has experience in runing a small guesthouse and restaurant in Greece. So she knows what she is doing. Any input. Cheers, P

By the way she makes out of this world Pastitio.

[harrry]

Tell her to move to Chiangrai.

[Jingthing]

Well, this place in Pattaya seems to attract a lot of German tourists.

Perhaps some Thais coming along as partners but not coming independently.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pattayanis-greeklicious/175903375851277

[kentfx]

I'd certainly visit her restaurant. With a good and visible location, and with a large enough space and a comfortable environment (and appropriate lighting and quiet Greek music), she might do fairly well. The wrong location can kill a start up restaurant -- just note the number of out-of-the-way restaurants that fold around here.

A promising location might be found on Soy 94, for example. Not too far from Petchkasem on that street there are quite a number of new restaurants, some of which seem to be doing well. Once an area gets the name of being good for dining out, people will come. If she could afford it, somewhere not too far from the Hilton might also be possible, on whatever that tourist road is called. That area brings lots of day-trippers -- though obviously people don't visit Thailand to eat Greek food.

My guess is she would be best-off focusing on expats -- hence Soy 94, or a block west of Petchkasem near that "Cool and Relax" restaurant. All the larger places are doing quite well there. Little ones, not so good.

[Jingthing]

Don't you have lots of Scandinavian tourists and expats there?

The Pattaya Greek place would likely get a lot more Scandinavians IF it was located in a part of town where the Scandinavians tend to be. It is not. So that might be a clue.

The point is that people who already KNOW that type of food are the more likely customers.

Four Greek islands are on the list of the top five most popular destinations preferred by Scandinavian travelers this season, according to Sweden’s leading tour operator TUI Nordic.

http://news.gtp.gr/2013/10/02/scandinavian-tourists-opt-greece/

[Jonathan Fairfield]

This topic is also being discussed on the Thaivisa Hua Hin Facebook page

Update - a good number of the comments on the Facebook page seem to think that the OP's wife should open a Greek restaurant in Hua Hin

[pocketsize]

Greek is one type of food I wish was an option when I lived in Hua Hin.

[impulse]

My first question would be whether the ingredients for Greek food will be prohibitively expensive? Can you even get most of it here at wholesale?

If her restaurant has to use sub-standard ingredients, or she has to charge too much, she'll be another great idea that doesn't quite work out.

[Estrada]

No! One was opened in Bangkok, I have never seen a customer yet.

[winstonc]

perhaps a stall at first at a local market see the reaction .and take it from there.low overheads

[sunshine51]

Y'all come over to Ranong ASAP!

[slipperylobster]

Y'all come over to Ranong ASAP!

go ahead and sell some Gyros and perhaps a spiffy Greek Salad. I would start small, perhaps some outside serving tables with umbrellas and an enclosed kitchen area with a serving window. I bet even the Thais would chomp up some Gyros....I would. Nice take out food and quick n easy. I would not do a full blown restaurant just yet. Perhaps get a place where you could expand (inside seating) if it kicks off. Spent a year on Crete (1972)...loved the food.

[slipperylobster]

Y'all come over to Ranong ASAP!

go ahead and sell some Gyros and perhaps a spiffy Greek Salad. I would start small, perhaps some outside serving tables with umbrellas and an enclosed kitchen area with a serving window. I bet even the Thais would chomp up some Gyros....I would. Nice take out food and quick n easy. I would not do a full blown restaurant just yet. Perhaps get a place where you could expand (inside seating) if it kicks off. Spent a year on Crete (1972)...loved the food.

forgot a link for that.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyro_%28food%29

[pedrinho]

if we can organise parties and break plates, YES !

[sunshine51]

Tapas(sp) anybody?

Hey peterhuahin2...that pastitio looks very tempting!

By all means open up the restaurant...small at first;

the biz will happen. Heck the missus & I'll drive over

soon...you got any Ouzo?

nb...edited to remove a nasty "i" in "got"...

[kotsak]

We need a Greek restaurant that offers REAL home made food.. e.g Potatoes with chicken (with lemon sauce) in oven, mousaka, green beans with beef and potatoes, orzo with meat, boiled beans in tomato sauce, lentils, etc..

[Sakeopete]

Please do I crave good Greek food. Just promise you won't put cheap Spanish olives in the Horiatiki Salata's (Greek Salad). Spinach and cheese pies too plz plus a proper gyros (not chicken ).

[Cuban]

Before asking here have you established that you can buy all the bulk/basis ingredients locally?

You might have to establish what suppliers the Sofitel uses and see if you can piggy-back on their deliveries from BBK rather than find a "new" food wholesaler.

To "test" the idae of Greek Food in Hua Hin you might best try some market research on a market night from a grab and go stall, so choose something Greek but portable. If you give food away everyone will told you they love it, if you charge the rate required to make a profit you will get an honest answer.

When people run "restaurants" they often get fixated on the idea and menu that THEY like and go out of business because the local population do not sync up perfectly with that model - the disparity results in a slow death and closure.

So first establish if the idea of Greek food sells to tourists and locals (Thai and farang) way before you go to a bricks & mortar outlet but when you do - run two modes of operation. Morning through to 6pm run as a breakfast come coffee shop selling great Greek coffee (etc) and the small sweet Baklava etc Have WiFi and home made ice creams, milkshakes etc - you make more money from drinks than any moussaka and chips!

[darrendsd]

I'd certainly visit her restaurant. With a good and visible location, and with a large enough space and a comfortable environment (and appropriate lighting and quiet Greek music), she might do fairly well. The wrong location can kill a start up restaurant -- just note the number of out-of-the-way restaurants that fold around here.

A promising location might be found on Soy 94, for example. Not too far from Petchkasem on that street there are quite a number of new restaurants, some of which seem to be doing well. Once an area gets the name of being good for dining out, people will come. If she could afford it, somewhere not too far from the Hilton might also be possible, on whatever that tourist road is called. That area brings lots of day-trippers -- though obviously people don't visit Thailand to eat Greek food.

My guess is she would be best-off focusing on expats -- hence Soy 94, or a block west of Petchkasem near that "Cool and Relax" restaurant. All the larger places are doing quite well there. Little ones, not so good.

Agree with Kentfx that Soi 94 or somewhere near there would be a good location, you are unlikely to attract the tourists much however if you got yourself a good name then the Expats would certainly come

Forget though the Center of town (the Hilton Soi etc) the rents there are ridicoulos (sp)

[Baloo22]

My first question would be whether the ingredients for Greek food will be prohibitively expensive? Can you even get most of it here at wholesale?

If her restaurant has to use sub-standard ingredients, or she has to charge too much, she'll be another great idea that doesn't quite work out.

This comment by Khun Impulse reminded me of a restaurant in Jomtien a couple years back. It was a deli / pizza restaurant named "Deli-izza". They were serving really good deli style sandwiches like Corned Beef on Rye, Pastrami, and Ruebens, etc. Unfortunately, they had to produce/process a lot of their own meats and bake their own bread and the cost was above market for that area.

Their products were, IMO, first rate, but with the customer base in the area there was no end of the whines "What! Pay 300baht for a sandwich! Rubbish!" from the know-nothings. Like producing good-quality New York style deli sandwiches for 50 baht would be possible in Jomtien, Thailand. It did not succeed.

[Jingthing]

I don't agree that's why they didn't succeed.

They were like some kind of underground business (read between the lines if you like).

They didn't have adequate publicity.

They didn't actually STAY OPEN long enough to build their customer base. By the time many potential repeat customers went back, they were CLOSED.

People who HAD discovered their product were largely very enthusiastic.

In other words, mostly not the price, certainly not the food (which was incredible) but other kinds of internal business problems.

[Baloo22]

I don't agree that's why they didn't succeed.

They were like some kind of underground business (read between the lines if you like).

They didn't have adequate publicity.

They didn't actually STAY OPEN long enough to build their customer base. By the time many potential repeat customers went back, they were CLOSED.

People who HAD discovered their product were largely very enthusiastic.

In other words, mostly not the price, certainly not the food (which was incredible) but other kinds of internal business problems.

Disagree. I and many other repeat customers did go back multiple times. But those that did were a very slim slice of the Pattaya/Jomtien clientele. Those, mostly from the US, that were familiar with and enjoyed good quality deli sandwiches. The clientele of the area for the most part always seemed to be unable to wrap their head around the concept that to produce the same quality on the other side of the world would cost a bit more.

I believe that the Australians have a term to describe such people that overrun Pattaya; Bogans!

[Jingthing]

Businesses fail for all kinds of reasons and price objection can be a factor but it's rarely the ONLY factor.

I mentioned Pattayanis Greek restaurant here. They are now selling "premium" price lamb dishes and state on their website they are selling WELL because there IS a local market that understands certain things do cost more. So that would tend to discount your theory that there isn't an expat market in Thailand that appreciates certain things MUST cost more because of what's in the product.

Obviously, businesses do need to JUSTIFY their prices in some way. In some cases, it's the product, sometimes with restaurants it's the location and ambiance. Pricing is a complex formula.

[nisakiman]

For it to work well you would need to source the basic ingredients. Greek olive oil (the best in the world, in my opinion. Fresh, green and peppery), Greek Feta cheese, Retsina wine and Ouzo spring to mind on an immediate basis. Oddly enough, a (Greek) friend and I were discussing the possibility of exporting Retsina, Ouzo, Olive oil and Kalamata Olives to Thailand earlier this year. We may well dip a toe in the water to see how it goes, as I think Retsina in particular, given its strong flavour and low cost price (and thus relatively low sale price, despite the punitive taxes on wine) could well become popular with Thais. It's the only wine I can think of that would not be overwhelmed by spicy Thai food.

[AlphMichaels]

Opah! Would love to see it! With breaking plates, flaming saganaki, belly dancers. The Pastito image made my mouth water. Made quarterly trips to Chicago for dining in the Greek district when back home because I love Greek food and the spirit of the culture..., all very evident in the Halstead area of the Windy City.

But I fear such cuisine may not generate enough business in Hua Hin. Scandinavian fare may be the better play and even then a seasonal business requiring you to generate enough revenue in 3-5 months to carry you through slow season. That said..., build it and I will come then will tell all my friends to join me on next visits!

[stopthegreed]

Please have a look around hua hin.

Count the people, and then count the restaurants.

This should give you some indication of the ratio.

There are too many restaurants and not enough people.

the only restaurant that would real;ly go down a treat is a European style Chinese.

Thats my opinion.

[marshall stanley]

A Greek restaurant might work if the food isn't too "greasy".

[phitsanulokjohn]

I love Greek food,wish we had a greek restaurant here in P'lok.I wish her much success if she decides to go ahead with this venture.

[hhfarang]

I would visit, even if all she could do is make a good authentic Greek salad. Good Greek food is hard to find in this country. Cool Breeze has some on their menu and a few items are good but still not what I would call authentic.

[Arkady]

Depends on the location. There used to be a Greek restaurant in Bangkok in Ekkamai, near the Petchaburi junction but it was out of the way and died a death, even though the food was reasonably OK.

Personally I think Cypriot Greek food, which is the style that British people are familiar with, has advantages over Greek-Greek food. For one thing the pitta bread is firm and dry, not fluffy and greased with copious olive oil. They also have more things like kleftiko stew and the wonderful halloumi goats cheese that is delicious grilled. But you can forget about the pickled baby song birds (ambelopoulia). I always staunchly resisted trying this revolting delicacy. Also forget about the chips with everything culture prevalent in Cyprus learned from the former colonial masters. Cypriot wines are generally better than their Greek counterparts too.