Any advices for openning a restaurant in Huay kaew Residence

[true blue]

go for it love good Chinese food,and certinally in short supply around the part of chiang mai you mentioned.hope you live your dream.

[arunsakda]

Thank you for all you guys reply, I read all replys over and over again. That is great tips and help, Im really appriciated that. So I decided that all of you 17 guys can get 2 free meal from my restaurant if my restaurant open.(I will send you guys a number code when my restaurant open, it will open in May perhaps.)

It seems the bigest problem is the location. As my opinion, location is not a big deal if the food and atmosphere and hygienics are all good enough. And I have not found a better place and I dont want to wait.

Reply to MaeJoMTB: The price of dishes is about from 60 baht to 150 baht. Moast of dishes is around 80 baht to 120 baht. You guys think the price is ok or not?

Reply to elektrified, kalbo123: About the location. in front this restaurant and inside this community you can park you car or motorbike. And there is a very large front yard which is nice and clean. and the kitchen size is what i want, I can rebuilt the kitchen make it like almost open kitchen and I make wall white with glazed tile. And inside the restaurant have 2 air-con. And I have a some backyard. And 2 nice clean toilet. Thats why I choose this place to be my restaurant. Even Nimman or Maya have a same place I wont choose, because that kind of place is too many people, I want my customers enjoy his/her meal with a good atmosphere. It is quiet here.

Reply to uptheos:I live in Huay Kaew Residence, I think people live here only go to eat in Kad Suan Kaew once a week or less. The food in Kad Suan Kaew is disgussting(for me i only eat few times there). the restaurant have not open, thats why they have to go to eat that shit food. Hope my restaurant will help them to get better food:)

Reply to Airalee: About random mishmash of dishes. My menu only 2 or 3 pages, 1 page is drink, 1 or 2 pages is food. Very simple food, the menu I give above is what I good at, I can make that better than a Michilin 2 star chef, because I learned that from a Italian Michilin 2 star chef for years. And I give my restaurant name SPRING DELI, I supprised you can call it out before I tell you. So you can get 3 free meal from my restaurant.

Reply to Cyberfarang: I just ask some advices, I have made plan and prepared. Thanks so much.

Reply to mascarabertha: My customers is not only the people who live in this building. My customers is from the whole city.

Reply to Oscar2: This lunch time I went to a chinese restaurant, it is chinese owner, the food is ok, but the atmosphere is horrible, the glass and the table and the chair is <deleted> dirty.

Reply to spooky2015: I also talked to that lady, I saw 'For Rent' sign on the window of her shop. I agree people live here they go outside to eat, but that does not matter for me. If my food delicious and everything clean, people live in other place will come to eat here.

That is my opionin and considering. Thnak you to all your guys reply. Im very glad to communicate with all of you guys.

Your problem is you fail to see the reality of the situation. First of all the worst that can happen is you actually succeed. Others will open a similar operation nearby to undercut and sabotage you. Meanwhile bent Cops, Government Officials, and internet Music scammers will appear to fleece you for your very last Satang. Edited December 21, 2015 by arunsakda

[stillbornagain]

Thank you for all you guys reply, I read all replys over and over again. That is great tips and help, Im really appriciated that. So I decided that all of you 17 guys can get 2 free meal from my restaurant if my restaurant open.(I will send you guys a number code when my restaurant open, it will open in May perhaps.)

It seems the bigest problem is the location. As my opinion, location is not a big deal if the food and atmosphere and hygienics are all good enough. And I have not found a better place and I dont want to wait.

Reply to MaeJoMTB: The price of dishes is about from 60 baht to 150 baht. Moast of dishes is around 80 baht to 120 baht. You guys think the price is ok or not?

Reply to elektrified, kalbo123: About the location. in front this restaurant and inside this community you can park you car or motorbike. And there is a very large front yard which is nice and clean. and the kitchen size is what i want, I can rebuilt the kitchen make it like almost open kitchen and I make wall white with glazed tile. And inside the restaurant have 2 air-con. And I have a some backyard. And 2 nice clean toilet. Thats why I choose this place to be my restaurant. Even Nimman or Maya have a same place I wont choose, because that kind of place is too many people, I want my customers enjoy his/her meal with a good atmosphere. It is quiet here.

Reply to uptheos:I live in Huay Kaew Residence, I think people live here only go to eat in Kad Suan Kaew once a week or less. The food in Kad Suan Kaew is disgussting(for me i only eat few times there). the restaurant have not open, thats why they have to go to eat that shit food. Hope my restaurant will help them to get better food:)

Reply to Airalee: About random mishmash of dishes. My menu only 2 or 3 pages, 1 page is drink, 1 or 2 pages is food. Very simple food, the menu I give above is what I good at, I can make that better than a Michilin 2 star chef, because I learned that from a Italian Michilin 2 star chef for years. And I give my restaurant name SPRING DELI, I supprised you can call it out before I tell you. So you can get 3 free meal from my restaurant.

Reply to Cyberfarang: I just ask some advices, I have made plan and prepared. Thanks so much.

Reply to mascarabertha: My customers is not only the people who live in this building. My customers is from the whole city.

Reply to Oscar2: This lunch time I went to a chinese restaurant, it is chinese owner, the food is ok, but the atmosphere is horrible, the glass and the table and the chair is <deleted> dirty.

Reply to spooky2015: I also talked to that lady, I saw 'For Rent' sign on the window of her shop. I agree people live here they go outside to eat, but that does not matter for me. If my food delicious and everything clean, people live in other place will come to eat here.

That is my opionin and considering. Thnak you to all your guys reply. Im very glad to communicate with all of you guys.

Your problem is you fail to see the reality of the situation. First of all the worst that can happen is you actually succeed. Others will open a similar operation nearby to undercut and sabotage you. Meanwhile bent Cops, Government Officials, and internet Music scammers will appear to fleece you for your very last Satang.

Apparently, in your mind running a successful restaurant is so easy that anyone can copy it. Not so. If his food is great, he'll do well.

[bangmai]

great chefs fail all the time, just like expert carpenters....it's about cash management. China is a big place...what region of China do you specialize in. I went to that Yunan place inside the moat, and they do a decent business...but it seemed pretty plain jane to me, like the highly acclaimed Burmese place....I would take Thai food for half the price any day of the week. As far as location, I think that is doable, especially if you are paying less than 10K, as opposed to 40 K around Nimman. The successful places around here, do simple menus, fast service, high volume, and tend to be family run..as in they don't have four girls sitting their on LINE, ignoring customers. I live right by the back of CMU, business failures are too numerous to list....the students are students...they're not rich, yet, but they're pretty smart...they go for value and flavor. Places that try to go upscale fail in four months. BTW, a 60 sm shop, right on Su Thep Rd. rents for 45,000 per month...but there is more foot traffic than Huay Kaew, but I doubt rents are much less over there. Traffic is so bad in both places, you really have to focus on locals...and local motorbikers or walkers.

Really good lasagna would be a crowd pleaser, but I see a lot of very empty Italian restaurants around Nimman. Lemoncello comes to mind, and even Why Not....walk by those places at 19:30 on a Thursday night, and they just don't have the customers. Selling anything that involves horrific import taxes, makes you more of a tax collector than a restaurant...cheese, olive oil, wine, pasta.....all very pricey here. A jar of Prego is about 159 THB at Tops...it's less than half that in America....You charge 150 for a glass of wine...and might be making zero....and first timers are thinking..wow that kind of expensive. I loved this place at Hua Hin....lasted for years...now bit the dust...rent increases....great food, authentic, thai lady was a perfectionists....https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Italy/182567121801995

[LivinLOS]

Yeh right OP, there is no good Chinese food in CM. Perhaps you need to look around more.

Where would you recommend for Sichuan style chinese ??

Had a few disappointing chinese offerings so far.. Bland watery dishes which seemed presented without much care. Would like to show the wife Chinese food includes some decently spicy and powerful taste offerings.

[LivinLOS]

Rubbish. China Kitchen Restaurant at Shangri La. (Szechuan). In October went with 5 people and ate in a private Kitchen view dining suite. Best Chinese food I have had in years. Except for the Peking Duck not even that expensive.

Should have read further down..

Thanks.. Thats added to the 'must visit' list.

[JaseTheBass]

For me the owner/manager is just as important as the food. I want to know that I'm being looked after and the place has that 'personal' touch. I tend to be very loyal and will frequently return to a very small number of restaurants.

If you manage to produce good food and have the quality of service I would expect from a decently run western restaurant and you have a good rapport with your customers, then I would consider returning. But, generally speaking, I have little or nothing in common with a Chinese chap (simmilarly a Thai chap), so...

Edited December 22, 2015 by JaseTheBass

[Oscar2]

Yeh right OP, there is no good Chinese food in CM. Perhaps you need to look around more.

Where would you recommend for Sichuan style chinese ??

Had a few disappointing chinese offerings so far.. Bland watery dishes which seemed presented without much care. Would like to show the wife Chinese food includes some decently spicy and powerful taste offerings.

Chinese food is lousy in C.M.

[Oscar2]

great chefs fail all the time, just like expert carpenters....it's about cash management. China is a big place...what region of China do you specialize in. I went to that Yunan place inside the moat, and they do a decent business...but it seemed pretty plain jane to me, like the highly acclaimed Burmese place....I would take Thai food for half the price any day of the week. As far as location, I think that is doable, especially if you are paying less than 10K, as opposed to 40 K around Nimman. The successful places around here, do simple menus, fast service, high volume, and tend to be family run..as in they don't have four girls sitting their on LINE, ignoring customers. I live right by the back of CMU, business failures are too numerous to list....the students are students...they're not rich, yet, but they're pretty smart...they go for value and flavor. Places that try to go upscale fail in four months. BTW, a 60 sm shop, right on Su Thep Rd. rents for 45,000 per month...but there is more foot traffic than Huay Kaew, but I doubt rents are much less over there. Traffic is so bad in both places, you really have to focus on locals...and local motorbikers or walkers.

Really good lasagna would be a crowd pleaser, but I see a lot of very empty Italian restaurants around Nimman. Lemoncello comes to mind, and even Why Not....walk by those places at 19:30 on a Thursday night, and they just don't have the customers. Selling anything that involves horrific import taxes, makes you more of a tax collector than a restaurant...cheese, olive oil, wine, pasta.....all very pricey here. A jar of Prego is about 159 THB at Tops...it's less than half that in America....You charge 150 for a glass of wine...and might be making zero....and first timers are thinking..wow that kind of expensive. I loved this place at Hua Hin....lasted for years...now bit the dust...rent increases....great food, authentic, thai lady was a perfectionists....https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Italy/182567121801995

pasta expensive? you don't get out much... cheese? you have to know where to buy it. certainly not from Tops or Big C....

prego? LOL

Edited December 22, 2015 by Oscar2

[junglechef]

"I can make that better than a Michilin 2 star chef, because I learned that from a Italian Michilin 2 star chef for years" which doesn't make you a Michilin 2 star chef or actually a 3 Star as you say your better and it's not Italian food but anyways your girlfriend is "taking care of the kitchen" so they're all mute points.

Starting with no Chef or even any respecting food service professional would ever call food "shit"!

Nor do I think as a newcomer it's wise, especially looking at it from a business point of view, to trash another local food establishment ("The food in Kad Suan Kaew is disgussting")

See in this thread the comments of how another restauranteurs bad attitude has not been appreciated.

As for the business side of it posters implied you have a financial plan, which it true is great, but "Even Nimman or Maya have a same place I wont choose, because that kind of place is too many people, I want my customers enjoy his/her meal with a good atmosphere. It is quiet here." doesn't sound savvy considering the price points your charging in the this already low margin business.

Best of luck and I will come in for a meal if you do open (if I'm still welcome after my honest requested advice ).

May I ask about your experience please.

Have you owned a restaurant before?

Where were you a Chef?

What is the name of the 2 Star Michilin Chef who mentored you?

Edited December 22, 2015 by junglechef

[LawrenceChee]

Agree with jungle chef

If you have apprenticed right , you would never trashed a fellow establishment ....2 stars becomes 1 very soon and 1 becomes nothing

We have seen aplenty of those and if you have seen how thick that Michelin guide book is .... Working in a 2 star establishment does not make you any special unless you have directly managed the place and given the recipes and have the skills to replicate that at prices for that condo

If you can you get my salute and financial support and heck I would even leave a big tip

My fav Chef for Cantonese food is the 3 star Michelin dim sum Chef in 4 Seasons HK ....practically a perfectionist in the kitchen and yet very humble of his skills

[bangmai]

great chefs fail all the time, just like expert carpenters....it's about cash management. China is a big place...what region of China do you specialize in. I went to that Yunan place inside the moat, and they do a decent business...but it seemed pretty plain jane to me, like the highly acclaimed Burmese place....I would take Thai food for half the price any day of the week. As far as location, I think that is doable, especially if you are paying less than 10K, as opposed to 40 K around Nimman. The successful places around here, do simple menus, fast service, high volume, and tend to be family run..as in they don't have four girls sitting their on LINE, ignoring customers. I live right by the back of CMU, business failures are too numerous to list....the students are students...they're not rich, yet, but they're pretty smart...they go for value and flavor. Places that try to go upscale fail in four months. BTW, a 60 sm shop, right on Su Thep Rd. rents for 45,000 per month...but there is more foot traffic than Huay Kaew, but I doubt rents are much less over there. Traffic is so bad in both places, you really have to focus on locals...and local motorbikers or walkers.

Really good lasagna would be a crowd pleaser, but I see a lot of very empty Italian restaurants around Nimman. Lemoncello comes to mind, and even Why Not....walk by those places at 19:30 on a Thursday night, and they just don't have the customers. Selling anything that involves horrific import taxes, makes you more of a tax collector than a restaurant...cheese, olive oil, wine, pasta.....all very pricey here. A jar of Prego is about 159 THB at Tops...it's less than half that in America....You charge 150 for a glass of wine...and might be making zero....and first timers are thinking..wow that kind of expensive. I loved this place at Hua Hin....lasted for years...now bit the dust...rent increases....great food, authentic, thai lady was a perfectionists....https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Italy/182567121801995

pasta expensive? you don't get out much... cheese? you have to know where to buy it. certainly not from Tops or Big C....

prego? LOL

All double US prices. Prego is what is commonly sold...I didn't say it was the standard. I see that head injury is still coming along slowly.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If it's located at Huay Kaew Residence, can other people who don't live there even find it?

I'd love it if it was located a little more in the general tourist area (although I do realize tourists are everywhere including all along Huay Kaew).

Parking is nice, but not completely required; I usually find a place to park not too far away from anywhere.

Especially if you're investing over a million Baht then it would be possible to include renting a place a bit more central and accessible. Preferably near some bigger hotel to get easy tourist trade. This is what Pho Anh did recently, opening a place just down the road from the Porn Ping hotel on Charoeng Prathet road (between the night bazar and river.) Seems some places are available for rent in that general area. (Also noting that it's not really as prime/impossible to get something like for example on Thapae Road, yet it's right around the corner.)

[Rob13]

If you're Chinese you ought to target that market. Find where the Chinese are spending their time and open a place there. Chances are you already know what foods they want and can put those on your menu.

When you say Western food, to a person who's actually from the west,it doesn't really mean anything, a German breakfast,American breakfast and English breakfast aren't the same, so when you say Western food, what most westerners are going to see is a Chinese guy preparing what he thinks is 'Western' food. If I see a place that says German food on the sign I expect it to be German owned and operated.

You're Chinese go with that and make Chinese comfort food for the Chinese on vacation. Just my opinion. Good luck with it.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Rob13

[WaiLai]

Most of the guys in Huay Kaew Residence eat in TOPS food court Kad Suan Kaew for 40 baht.

If they spent that much money

Area of Cheap Charlies

Why are they "Cheap Charlies". that's the going rate for a meal at a food court. Would you prefer it if food courts doubled their prices?

Living within your means is a lesson many people seemed to have never grasped. I don't know why... since it is a fairly basic construct.

Those who cast names of derision have always puzzled me. It seems as if they are at war with their identity or possibly exercising some "dominance trait" that has yet to fore gone fully diagnosed and treated.

[bangmai]

Most of the guys in Huay Kaew Residence eat in TOPS food court Kad Suan Kaew for 40 baht.

If they spent that much money

Area of Cheap Charlies

Why are they "Cheap Charlies". that's the going rate for a meal at a food court. Would you prefer it if food courts doubled their prices?

Living within your means is a lesson many people seemed to have never grasped. I don't know why... since it is a fairly basic construct.

Those who cast names of derision have always puzzled me. It seems as if they are at war with their identity or possibly exercising some "dominance trait" that has yet to fore gone fully diagnosed and treated.

The Euro-Trash seems to be especially uncomfortable with the "class" issue. In America, our class is determined by our own decisions. It appears that it is strictly something you are born with or without in most of Europe. Fancy cars and houses are more often than not, an indicator of debt; not wealth. The Thais make a good example of this.

[MaeJoMTB]

The Euro-Trash seems to be especially uncomfortable with the "class" issue. In America, our class is determined by our own decisions. It appears that it is strictly something you are born with or without in most of Europe. Fancy cars and houses are more often than not, an indicator of debt; not wealth. The Thais make a good example of this.

In Europe,

Middle class is dependent on higher Educational level or professional occupation.

If you sweat while you work, you are lower class.

Upper class is something you can only be born into.

[bangmai]

In Mexico, you have a very small number of elites, but the rapidly growing middle class has been divided into those who work outside, and those that work inside. And of course, your skin color tells which one, minus the 50 kinds of whitening products at local stores. A civil servant, with the most idiotic desk job commands more respect than an air-conditioning expert. But in the US, you might find a successful pool cleaner or landscaper living in the same neighborhood as doctors and dentists, who often are seriously affected by school loans.

[ilostmypassword]

The Euro-Trash seems to be especially uncomfortable with the "class" issue. In America, our class is determined by our own decisions. It appears that it is strictly something you are born with or without in most of Europe. Fancy cars and houses are more often than not, an indicator of debt; not wealth. The Thais make a good example of this.

Actually, social mobility is much greater in the developed economies of Europe than it is in the USA.

[bangmai]

The technology sector is several times greater size in the US vs. EU. That alone would indicate otherwise. Pervasive socialism would not support your statement, either, unless you are talking about a Syrian refugee moving to London, and being int he same economic situation as the Commoners.

[LawrenceChee]

I eat at Fujian often and the bill runs into thousands and my current fav breakfast khao moo ping 20 baht only

Good food is good food ...snobs I really have no patience for.

In my lifetime opening all sorts of hotels , the Chef is the most important element of success for good food

Decor , ambience and great service is cool for the enjoyment of the meal ...taste is still most important

[stillbornagain]

The technology sector is several times greater size in the US vs. EU. That alone would indicate otherwise. Pervasive socialism would not support your statement, either, unless you are talking about a Syrian refugee moving to London, and being int he same economic situation as the Commoners.

The issue wasn't about the dynamism about a particular sector of the economy. It's about social mobility. Not at all the same thing. It is interesting to note, though, that you invoke the technology sector which depends so heavily on data, but all you offer are clichés. Plenty of hard data out there to refute you and its accessible on something called the internet. Heard of it?

[bangmai]

How do you move up in class in France, for example, with 65% of the workforce employed by the government?

[stillbornagain]

How do you move up in class in France, for example, with 65% of the workforce employed by the government?

I just did a quick search on the internet and found that France has about 35 percent of its workers employed by government. About 4 percentage points ahead of the other economic disaster zone - Germany. Oh wait.... Where do you get these bizarre numbers from? But more importantly, government has always been a crucial way that the poor get to move up in the world. Whether it the poor working for the post office or the armed services. By the way, the country with the most government workers - at about 50% - is China. (This survey probably excluded North Korea.)

[ricklev]

You will have problems with the staff and management of Huay Kaew Residence.

Dealing with them during my stay was my worst experience in 20 years in Thailand. It was annoying, but mostly sad that human beings can so easily travel the wrong path.

If you do an internet search you will understand what I'm talking about.

[elektrified]

You will have problems with the staff and management of Huay Kaew Residence.

Dealing with them during my stay was my worst experience in 20 years in Thailand. It was annoying, but mostly sad that human beings can so easily travel the wrong path.

If you do an internet search you will understand what I'm talking about.

I concur. I also agree with what another poster said above as I saw it happen to a restaurant that was there previously. It was taken from the owner.