Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Ask us anything. Cambodia Expats Online has a huge community of long-term expats that can answer any question you may have about life in Cambodia. Have some questions you want to ask before you move to Cambodia? Ask them here. Our community can also answer any questions you have about how to find a job or what kind of work is available for expats in Cambodia, whether you're looking for info about Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or anywhere else in the Kingdom. You're also welcome to ask about visa and work permit questions as well, as the immigration rules change often, especially since COVID-19. Don't be shy, ask CEO's community anything!
CMBcurious
Tourist
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:41 am
Reputation: 2
Zimbabwe

Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by CMBcurious »

Hi Expats!

My sincere apologies if there is already a thread on this but I couldn't find one.

I am moving to PP this May with the idea of opening a modest bar/resto and I was wondering how complicated this process is in Cambodia in terms licensing, regulations and how long the process would take, assuming you've found a potential location and so on? I have already visited PP and other areas and really liked it.

Thank you in advance for your advice.
pczz
Expatriate
Posts: 3204
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2015 1:00 pm
Reputation: 807
Location: phnom penh
Great Britain

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by pczz »

Some of it depends on size and whether you have a khmer partner or not. You will need various license for tourist buaines, bar, restaurant(depending on number of seats and what alcohol yousell), sign tax, copyright search. if you have more than 8 staff you also get into labour laws. then you have the ridiculaous tax system.
If you are new to Cambodia and have no khmer translator fixer then get one.
User avatar
RickyBobby
BANNED
Posts: 1086
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 12:44 pm
Reputation: 357
Cambodia

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by RickyBobby »

I may be wrong but it seems to me there is always places you can buy that are less than 1/2 the cost of what was spent. If a person really wants to be invested, has some talent, and is not a drunk and not afraid to work, they could possibly make a go of it. (maybe) Bars and restaurants all over the world have the highest rates of failure, and probably expat bars in restaurants in Cambodia fail even more. That said, a lot of them probably fail for lack of talent, ability, and work ethic. Its definitely not the idyllic romantic life many have imagined. Its more than likely buying a low paying job, but at least it might give you a home base and keep you out of trouble.
"Dear Lord Baby Jesus, Lyin in a Manger"
explorer
Expatriate
Posts: 2417
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 9:37 pm
Reputation: 768
Australia

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by explorer »

There are many different places, but it is common to charge high rents. Newcomers dont know how much money they may make, so they pay it, only to find out they make little money, or run at a loss.

You really need something to attract customers. If you are a friendly person who likes chatting to customers a lot, that may be a plus. I would also look for nice outgoing girls who speak English, who will also chat to customers.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
logos
Expatriate
Posts: 607
Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 4:43 pm
Reputation: 148
Location: PP
Kiribati

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by logos »

As I think Gavinmac once wrote in reply to a similar question, Give it a go, anyway you will end up as a tefler.
User avatar
Ghostwriter
Expatriate
Posts: 3096
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:01 am
Reputation: 1998
France

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by Ghostwriter »

Don't.

Because you want to open a MODEST one. It means to me that you have a tight budget, and limited skills in F&B, which would mean competition for average grade food and average westerners customers with more experienced businesses, yet starving already. The average westerner customer here is lower quality than other neighbor countries, and cheap charlies are legion. You also have to get that you will spend more than anticipated, just because it's a kind of country like that. You will get the details in time, while browsing this forum and khmer440's archives.

I might be wrong, never had such a business, i wish you luck, but that's my safety call at the end.
explorer
Expatriate
Posts: 2417
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 9:37 pm
Reputation: 768
Australia

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by explorer »

I know someone who opened one. He had very few customers. He had to go back to his home country to earn more money. He wanted his Cambodian wife to run it while he was away. She didnt want to, so it is closed.
## I thought I knew all the answers, but they changed all the questions. ##
User avatar
frank lee bent
Expatriate
Posts: 11330
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 4:10 am
Reputation: 2094
United States of America

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by frank lee bent »

Perhaps 1 in 20 break even.
maybe 20 years ago it was easier.
User avatar
phuketrichard
Expatriate
Posts: 16790
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:17 pm
Reputation: 5733
Location: Atlantis
Aruba

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by phuketrichard »

unless you can hit a very niche market, ( and you would need spend 6 months figuring out what that is) and /or have deep pockets,
pick somewhere else
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
CMBcurious
Tourist
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2019 10:41 am
Reputation: 2
Zimbabwe

Re: Opening a bar & restaurant in Phnom Penh?

Post by CMBcurious »

Thank you all so much for the advice and genuine feedback of what the F&B market is like in PP. Much appreciated.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: cautious colin, DavidMurphy, John Bingham, newsgatherer and 367 guests