[Antipodean]

Absolutely agree with clr.
Had one experience owning a bars and restaurant complex , then I decided that the cheapest way for me to be a poser in upscale bars or clubs is standing on the customer side of the bar paying full retail.

[The Fantasist]

I kind of forgot about this thread due to a lack of response but the idea of opening a bar is still in my plans.

When I was in India I ran a guesthouse and restaurant and whilst it never made me that much money ( good by local standards but very little by international ones ) it did bring a lot of women into my orbit. Most of my staff ended up with foreign GF's due to proximity.

My current plan is to nail the Russian language or at least vastly improve it. Then I would like to open a bar with a Russian twist in a place Russians hang out on holiday, possibly Goa or Abkhazia. In other words somewhere cheap to set up. The idea will then be to create a brand and then franchise the name out whilst I continue to run the one in the location I enjoy most. Six months in Russia and then six months in a resort at the bar would suit me perfectly.

Great post clr, some deep empirical knowledge. However your way was much advanced to my ideas. I plan to do it on a tight budget ( I was offered houses for sale in Abkhazia for $15000 near to the beach so I think rents will be very cheap too ). I see it initially as opening a bar in a resort not in expectation of great rewards but for the crack and adventure along with the rewards that come with that lifestyle. Then what knowledge gained from that could be used for the expansion if it seems feasible. If anyone is still interested then by all means let me know.

[clr]

(04-17-2013 05:17 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

I kind of forgot about this thread due to a lack of response but the idea of opening a bar is still in my plans.

When I was in India I ran a guesthouse and restaurant and whilst it never made me that much money ( good by local standards but very little by international ones ) it did bring a lot of women into my orbit. Most of my staff ended up with foreign GF's due to proximity.

My current plan is to nail the Russian language or at least vastly improve it. Then I would like to open a bar with a Russian twist in a place Russians hang out on holiday, possibly Goa or Abkhazia. In other words somewhere cheap to set up. The idea will then be to create a brand and then franchise the name out whilst I continue to run the one in the location I enjoy most. Six months in Russia and then six months in a resort at the bar would suit me perfectly.

Great post clr, some deep empirical knowledge. However your way was much advanced to my ideas. I plan to do it on a tight budget ( I was offered houses for sale in Abkhazia for $15000 near to the beach so I think rents will be very cheap too ). I see it initially as opening a bar in a resort not in expectation of great rewards but for the crack and adventure along with the rewards that come with that lifestyle. Then what knowledge gained from that could be used for the expansion if it seems feasible. If anyone is still interested then by all means let me know.

Just do a lot of research before you buy, talk to local owners. Most will be happy to help you, give the real deal, sometimes you just need to know the questions to ask though. You can definitely do a scaled down version, but you will be surprised at the work and money involved, there are always surprises. If you dont stay on top of it you would get robbed blind. The only way I can see it working easily without getting robbed blind or busting your ass everyday, is if you have a girl you trust and you and her run a tiny relaxed operation that you enjoy, maybe with one employee to be the bitch.