Hi
Looking for general information on openning a small coffe shop.
Here a few detail:
Looking in buying a small franchise to sell coffee, myself and my thai wife would be owners, as probally it would be 51% her and 49% me.
My sister -in-law would work and manage the shop. We are thinking just a small booth or a corner booth to start with. Maybe in the future then we would rent a space and build a shop( like starbucks).
Looking for information on start-up of this bussiness.
Thanks for the info

It's good that you're not stuck with some spot in mind, or have to use that space for some reasons,
so if you can pick a new spot - then its about Location Location Location
and according to the asian book of business - best avoid all in-laws, only immediate family members.
Roast your beans on the premises if you can ...

thenagain, all these will be over-ruled by the majority shareholder?

Bear in mind you will need more than 2 Thais working for you to substantiate your work permit...it was 4-1 when I had my last business.

Thanks, yes I don't have a spot but was thinking somewhere close to a university or mall in or around bangkok. and the majority shareholder is my wife and me....no inlaw involve.

I am not planning on working this just yet..........It will be managed by wife and sister-in-law........I will just go and have coffee...sometimes......

He doesn't need 4 Thais working there if he is already on extension based on marriage. Only if he wants to get extensions based on the business.

[quote name='sunnythai' date='2009-06-28 14:40:30' post='2835944']
Hi
Looking for general information on openning a small coffe shop.
Here a few detail:
Looking in buying a small franchise to sell coffee, myself and my thai wife would be owners, as probally it would be 51% her and 49% me.
My sister -in-law would work and manage the shop. We are thinking just a small booth or a corner booth to start with. Maybe in the future then we would rent a space and build a shop( like starbucks).
Looking for information on start-up of this bussiness.
Thanks for the info
[/quote
Franchise you must be F***in Joking !!!
Just remember when you jump in the ocean you are no longer on top of the food chain.
You mention Starbucks, check their recent track record, you think you can do better? if so, go for it, balls and all. Hope I'm not speaking soon to someone with no nuts.
Don't want to predict the result, but I think you would be better off with a jug of hot water and a bag of Nescafe 3 in 1 at the entrance of the MRT.

No not joking, just mention Starbucks as a reference.......you can start a small coffee shop for a couple thousand US dollars. I think that not too much to invest in Thailand. If it does not go well than you are only out that much. That usually what I send on a vacation.
But thanks for the input.

not any longer, I'm afraid. Same rules apply to non-immi O and B visas!

Just an idea...with this Commercial Property in Pattaya

House with 584 Square Meters Land (Width 15 Meter x Length 39 Meter)
is available for 6 years rent

Address: No. 436/16 Pattaya Beach Road Soi 1 (opposite Sabai Lodge Hotel)

FOR Rent = Six Years Contract (No Key Money)
First 3 Years = THB 30000.– Monthly
Last 3 Years = THB 40000.- Monthly

FOR Sale = THB 30M.
*For more information please contact owner directly at Tel. 081-8150137

4 low skill non coffee fluent Thais on minimum wage
It's a grind
Probably better investment buy your wife a nice present

You forgot to mention a  present for the sister in law too

So the work permit regulations now require you to have the 4:1 ratio as well?

I can't find any info on this change of regulations, do you have a link?

Also consider,coffee business have very limited period of sale,in morning before work and late afternoon maximum till 4 or 5 pm.

i hope you got my point?

He never said he was going to work in the shop, so he doesn't need a work permit.

If he doesn't need a work permit, there's no reason he needs to have 4 Thai employees. He just needs as many as it takes to run the shop.

It seemed clear to me that his partial ownership of this business is totally unconnected to his visa status.
He could have a type "O" visa based on marriage with a wad of money in the bank to get yearly extensions.

2 scenarios.


lose medium amounts of money


lose large amounts


WhY? do people do things like this. all he doing is buying a job for sis in law.

Do you remotely realize in every nook and cranny in Thailand is a coffee shop? I would guess well over 10,000 of these.

Do you know why people write or develop business plans? Because these plans PROVE that crazy ideas that are not research with a thorough business plan FAIL.

Do you even have a clue how much it costs to make a cup of coffee? How much is the profit margin? How much you have budgeted for rent, utilities and labor.

You will probably find out, if you had a real business plan, that you need to sell like 300 cups a day to make any money. That is 300 X 30 days or 900 customers per month.

300 customers divided by 8 hours per day is 37.5 customers per hour or almost 1 customer every 2 minutes all day long. People so not drink coffee all day long friend.

PS farangs drink Starbucks. Ask yourself what percentage of the Thai population can afford to drink expensive coffee on a regular basis?

You are screwed right from the get go and it amazes me the number of people that want to start a business for their wife, girfriend, 3rd cousin etc. with absolutely no realistic plan or idea if it could even work

If you need a business to stay here, do yourself a favor and learn how to do a simple basic business plan.

It is very simple to do and will tell you right away the kind of information and numbers to see if the business will work before you waste all your money.

There many simple 101 Business Plans for Dummies on the internet for free.

Get the form and fill it out, you will be shocked at the amount of info you learn.