It would be difficult to run it for two of you to make money to pay yourselves a salary and as mentioned I think now is not the time to do it and would be 12 months off before viable although as also mentioned there will be bargains of businesses killed by the C-19 shut down to pick over. It is a tricky one as I see some businesses do quite well and also many that fail. As AndyKK has said it is easy to do if you aren't needing to make much money off it. There is the guys trying to sell the Harbour in Siem Reap on these pages (although overpriced) it might be an option to explore. With Siem Reap, the main tourist drag of Pub Street is extremely overpriced for rental to even envisage making money back ($3000++ per month). So you would choose to go to other areas such as Wat Damnak or SokSan, but they don't often get the footfall and rely a lot on the local expat community. What would be your USP? do you expect you will be totally hands on running it and be the figurehead? a lot of late nights and health implications if you do. You also need to work out how many staff you need and your rough overheads, electricity, for example, is expensive here, some food prices e.g. western brands are also expensive compared to other countries, alcohol, however, is cheap (but also expected to be sold cheap). There are I am sure many people who have owned bars on this site with better advice, I know some people and they probably pull in enough to pay themselves $800-$1000 a month not great for two people to share and also if you are renting an apartment off site. I think most would suggest you come with enough to cover costs for a year without a single sale, so many come in and by something for $$$ that they have pulled together then the first months salary and bills come through and they are stretched (also think of how much you'd be prepared to lose if needed).

I'd only suggest that when if you buy something already here that goodwill means nothing, a bar is only worth its fixtures and fittings unless you are going total turnkey and not changing a thing. Good luck.

Siem Reap doesnt need another Khmer place,or another bad pizzeria, or fake burgers or pastapastapasta.

Its needs an interesting place with a fun theme that sells unique food and drink.

WildA wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 8:26 am Siem Reap doesnt need another Khmer place,or another bad pizzeria, or fake burgers or pastapastapasta.

Its needs an interesting place with a fun theme that sells unique food and drink.

Has a hard rock cafe , burger king
Works for me ; Heaven ..

pissontheroof wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 1:05 pm

WildA wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 8:26 am Siem Reap doesnt need another Khmer place,or another bad pizzeria, or fake burgers or pastapastapasta.

Its needs an interesting place with a fun theme that sells unique food and drink.

Has a hard rock cafe , burger king
Works for me ; Heaven ..

The last place I would eat anywhere in the world is a Hard Rock Cafe. I hear the BK in SR is horrible.

The last place I would eat anywhere in the world is a Hard Rock Cafe. I hear the BK in SR is horrible.
[/quote]

What do you want then ? I also never been inside of a hard rock cafe,
But i been to the Burger King , how can you knock them ?
They are all the same .

If you're gonna open a bar in SR, just make sure you have a decent vibe for the place and bring on someone who actually knows how to make decent drinks. Then make sure they're prepared to train on the importance of actually making them properly. It's a tough place to get a decent cocktail. I have a history of restaurant and bar management(and bar-tending). I worked briefly as head bartender here in SR and could not get the staff to make drinks properly. They just didn't understand the difference between a shitty made cocktail and a good one, so they don't give a shit. Maybe because Cambodians don't really seem to drink cocktails. A bar with bad drinks and "meh" service isn't going to turn much profit unless you're on pub street.

As for BK, the burger patties are always dry at the SR Burger King. I don't know if they cook a bunch of them at a time and let them sit in the warmer way too long or what, but it isn't great. Maybe they just can't get decent patties here? I don't know. It's also hit and miss whether they'll remember to add the extra patty on your Whopper Jr. that you paid extra for. They also barely put any ice in your coke, but that could well be a cultural thing. Overall, probably the worst BK I've ever been to, but I've also never been to one outside of the US before here. Maybe the quality just goes down as you get all the way around the world.

The hospitality business is the most competitive business in the world.
Something like 85-90% of new businesses fail in the first 12 months. Even higher for those dreamers who have no experience or training.
Siem Reap, imo, will be undergoing a decimation of places catering to westerners - during and after the Cv crisis.

If you are serious and intend to pursue this very common dream, don't be one of the 90%.
Get some hardcore training in hospitality management.
Get some hardcore reality checking of your market.
Ask yourself some hardcore reality questions about whether your dream matches the actual facts of being a hospitality slave.
Ask yourself some hardcore reality questions about why you will succeed where so many highly experienced operators have failed. Including the bloke who wants to sell you his place.

I am not one of those who revels in squashing peoples dreams. i don't like being a neg-head.
But this is the hardcore reality kindest thing i can say to you Jack. ^^^

Best of luck if you do pursue this further.
Amongst all the wreckage of so many dreams - there is a world of success stories too.
for the hard nosed few.

pissontheroof wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:58 am The last place I would eat anywhere in the world is a Hard Rock Cafe. I hear the BK in SR is horrible.

What do you want then ? I also never been inside of a hard rock cafe,
But i been to the Burger King , how can you knock them ?
They are all the same .
[/quote]

Not really, for example the one in Silom in Bangkok is horrible, while the one on Suk 52 is fabulous. The one in MBK is hit and miss. Its all about the local managment. Virtually everybody I have talked to says the BK here is vomitocious, save for one fandude who is a blithering idiot in general.

Hi Jack

I'm a bit pushed for time and haven't had a chance to read all of the replies in here properly - apologies if I'm repeating anyone...

Firstly, you're familiar with the maxim 'The quickest way to a small fortune....', I trust. If not, it ends how it does because many have tried and failed.

That said, as someone else mentioned, many have tried and succeeded.

For what it's worth, I would not invest my life savings in a business venture in Cambodia, but if you and your brother are determined to do so my suggestion would be to move to SR first, when things have returned to something like normal, and talk to people on the ground. It's possible to live cheaply without spending too much of your savings and the knowledge and experience gained could pay for itself.

After a few months, you would be in a far better position to make a more informed choice about whether you want to go for it and if not, still walk away with most of the money you have worked hard for.

Finally, I think a new, well-run bar would be a welcome addition on the SR scene as the place is not exactly blessed with choice. Everybody wants different things from their bar, but if you do go for it, for the love of God, don't let your customers or staff pick the music from YouTube, unless you want the same grumpy old fuckers playing Hotel California or Stairway to Heaven every single night, or staff playing that ginger bloke till your ears start to bleed.

A crying shame it is how little most bar owners care about music in their bars...


Good luck!

I been to a couple in chiangmai , they all seemed the same tome here there and everywhere ,
All here seemed exactly the same to me too .Pp or siem reap .
I will NEVER go back to Thailand , but if you don’t like it there , go to mcdonalds ,
Don’t have that choice here , I support every Burger King i been to here .. or anywhere all the same same