Want to open restaurant

What restaurant you open and where you open?
I think my wife can help you if at hcmc.

Be prepared to spend what you can afford to lose. Viet Nam is a difficult environment to start a business, you don't have the safety nets like we have in the West. Be prepared to be inspected by useless officials chasing a buck, then you have the mighty green mafia(police) who can shut you down if they aren't looked after.The Sheraton hotel was inspected 13 times last year, this will give you some idea as to how the officials operate.

Good luck.

In addition to what Colin said, restaurant business is extremely competitive in VN. 

If you open a low or moderate priced restaurant, you would need to compete with literally thousands of already established ones in just the urban districts alone.  There's not one dish that you can come up with which has not been done to death by thousands of experienced chefs and cooks over the last few decades.  Do you have a plan to lure the budget conscious Vietnamese away from the abundant options at their doorsteps to come to your untried and untested restaurant? 

If you open a high end restaurant, then it's even tougher since upper middle class Vietnamese expect very good value for their money when it comes to dining out.  Great food, over the top service, elegant ambiance, and possible live entertainment are expected by the people who have money to spend on what they consider an expensive meal -- their expectation is a whole lot higher than most American diners (while the tips they leave behind is a whole lot less), I can tell you that right now.

poboyexpress wrote:

Can anyone tell me what to do to open restaurant in vietnam? Thank you!

Welcome on board

I invite you to take a look at some similar discussions on Vietnam forum.
That'll help you take an educated decision about your planned investment in VN.

Search on this forum with keywords like "open a restaurant" (etc.) to find relevant threads.
Below, I share a few links for quick access.
- Everything you needed to open a Restaurant.
- Restaurant plans
- Questions regarding opening a restaurant/cafe in Vietnam

Perhaps you can share your exact business plan (approx. budget, location, type of restaurant, type of business - JV or 100% foreign owned etc.) in more details.
Members on this forum with direct experience in restaurant business, can then give you some helpful tips and advice.

You may find this article informative.

I want to American restaurant in Dist 1, 2 or 3

Three of the most expensive areas to rent a property

I know, But do you have any ideal for me

Thanks

I think folks are trying to tell you is that business for a foreigner is full  of pitfalls even if you have prior business experience somewhere else. I have yet to meet a person that wanted to go into business that had already prepared a 5 year business plan that was even close to sufficient to start a business of any kind. Then there are the other problems you will face here. Are you familiar with envelopes for example? Did you know there are laws against you working in a business here? Do you know what it takes for a foreigner to own and work in a business here? How long must your location lease be for the government to except you as a foreign owned business? Are you aware that most landlords do not want that long of a lease.
Then of course, you know you make the best food known to man. But do others agree. Have you worked with local Vietnamese workers and learned how difficult it is for them to understand something has to be done a certain way? You alone can prepare the meal to perfection, plate it perfectly. But do they? Good luck...it is a high risk low margin business. In your country you probably have ample ways to advertise your business and get people to come. But here it is not the same. I do admire your courage. Make sure you consult with a professional to help you set the business up legally. Then get yourself a lot of envelopes.

And if you read the links provided here on the same discussion they will point you in the same direction.....very difficult. I always find it interesting to observe closely the occupants of buildings here....they open and they close in short order....the path of broken dreams.....and starting without a clear business plan. There are pyramids of books written on how to develop and write a business plan. And once you open the doors to your business read that business plan regularly and revise it often to see if you are on course and hitting your milestone goals. Once you get the business plan written you will not need to ask questions here on the forum

colinoscapee wrote:

Three of the most expensive areas to rent a property

Reading this forum gives me the idea your place is about the same as mine.
A bunch of estate agents ramp up the rents to a little past crazy then some dude then big dreams but not enough planning comes along to open a restaurant without even thinking about what locals will pay for a meal.

The first thing is work out what you have to TAKE (not make) per week just to pay the rent. If that number isn't high enough, forget looking any further.

What if I'd local 🇻🇳 share
Are still be problems

in saigon D1 D2 D3 or D7

Vagabondone wrote:

Then of course, you know you make the best food known to man. But do others agree.

Excellent posts from Vagabondone.  I would like to add two things to the list: targeted customers and menu prices.

poboyexpress wrote:

I want to American restaurant in Dist 1, 2 or 3

From that sentence, I assume your target would be American expats or American tourists and not the locals.  Aside from the specific locations, my guess is based on the fact that most Vietnamese are not crazy about American food so you're not going to find them occupying the seats of your restaurant.  Hundreds of times I've seen Vietnamese tourists in Southern CA heading to Vietnamese restaurants, while the amount of times I saw them eating in any American restaurants was so insignificant it's not worth mentioning.

If you can read Vietnamese or know someone who can, follow a few Vietnamese travel blogs (written by Vietnamese bloggers who travel to other countries, not foreigners who live in Vietnam) and you'll see what I mean.  The chance that you'll find an enthusiastic comment on American food written by a Vietnamese is slim to none.

If your aim is American expats and American tourists, can you find enough customers to sustain your expenses? 

The price of each dish is a big factor here.  Budget chain restaurants in the US (Denny's, Appleby, Cracker Barrel, etc.) price their dish around $10 each.  Do you think you can charge *half* of that price here in Saigon and hope that people will come?  Let me give you a few examples from restaurants I've visited (not street food, mind you.)  Note that I only cite restaurants in the expensive districts where you wish to open yours:

- Secret Garden, the very hyped-up restaurant in Q1 is located on a roof top garden, with pretty decor, good ambiance, very good service, and huge followers among locals as well as tourists.  The most expensive entrée on the menu, IIRC, was $7, with most dishes fall in the range of $4 - $5.  I dined there twice but didn't have to pay for my meals.  I wouldn't be there if I had.

- An Nam Quán in Q3 (specialised in chicken dishes) is always crowded so reservations is a must, charges 60K ($2.50) for most dishes.  A single serving is large enough for spouse and me to share.  Spouse liked the food so we'll probably return if we ever find ourselves in the area. 

- Magnolia Kitchen in Q1 was rather expensive for my budget.  Niece and I paid $250K ($11) for the two of us, from A to Z.  Excellent meal, great ambiance, Eurasian decor, praise-worthy service.  Still, we didn't return because we knew we could easily find very good meals everywhere for much less. 

Fred wrote:

without even thinking about what locals will pay for a meal.

Exactly what Fred said.  Those restaurants above appeal to the people with higher dining out budget; most people pay 1/3 of that at mom-an-pop places.  Your work is cut out for you if your prices are higher than those very popular restaurants, and if you haven't thought of doing all the things Vagabondone mentioned in his posts.

Thanks so guys! For very lessons info

Ciambella wrote:

Niece and I paid $250K ($11) for the two of us, from A to Z.

Typo.  It should be read:  "250K ($11)."  No dollar sign in front of 250K.

Ciambella wrote:

....most Vietnamese are not crazy about American food so you're not going to find them occupying the seats of your restaurant..

Exception may be the fast food chains, Pizza Hut and KFC being the most numerous in Vietnam along with to a lesser extent Burger King and McDonalds.  I think that, except for KFC, the appeal is mostly the novelty, particularly for the young. 

Ciambella wrote:

The most expensive entrée on the menu, IIRC, was $7, with most dishes fall in the range of $4 - $5.  I dined there twice but didn't have to pay for my meals.  I wouldn't be there if I had.

You sound like my wife.  She still refuses to eat out anywhere in the US, including Vietnamese restaurants, because she thinks it is too expensive and that she can cook better (and she can  ).  She has however adjusted to grocery store prices and will tell me about having bought some fruit on sale for $1.50 per pound (75123₫/kg), a price that would have nearly given her a stroke when she first immigrated.  It sounds like you have made the opposite mental price adjustment.  I expect you wouldn't have blinked twice over a $7 meal in California. 

Ciambella :
....most Vietnamese are not crazy about American food so you're not going to find them occupying the seats of your restaurant..

For the most part, this is very accurate, with one exception that I am aware of...tacos. On more than one trip to visit my in-laws, we have brought with us large quantities of corn tortillas and made tacos for my wife's very large family...everyone loved them!  Maybe you could consider some sort mobile "taco truck" to compete with the many street vendors with the relatively inexpensive to make, tacos...both fish and beef tacos are loved by my wife and my in-laws... And I have yet to see a taco for sale anywhere in Vietnam! Just a thought...good luck in your venture though!

THIGV wrote:

It sounds like you have made the opposite mental price adjustment.  I expect you wouldn't have blinked twice over a $7 meal in California. 

I didn't notice the pattern until you said that.  You're absolutely right, my brain has reverted to the Vietnamese way of thinking.    Give me a few years and I'll start speaking English without forming a complete sentence too! 

Sorry OP....back to your original question........" Can anyone tell me what to do to open a restaurant in Vietnam. Many have given you many things to ponder, and most very sage advise.
But the meat of the issue is a business plan. Some of what has been said here can be plugged into your business plan it it's given spot:

1.) Company Analysis
2.) Company Analysis
3.)Competitive Analysis
4.) Customer Analysis
5.) Marketing Plan
6.)Management Team
7.) Operations Plan
8.) Financial Plan
9.) Executive Summary

There are oodles of books you can order online or via Kindle on writing a business plan. I have worked with 1000's of dreamers that wanted to go into business. When we got to this point.... writing a business plan...they just would not listen. Granted, it can be a daunting task even in America where we have a great deal of data available to us in order to make better decisions. For example we we can go to Coles Directory and get demographic data on every zip code. We can go to the Chamber of Commerce and get traffic data for every street in the city. I have found such data here nor seen them measuring for the data. We have industry trade groups that can tell you margins of food items, labor cost for buildout etc.
I can assure you once you delve into writing a business plan you will do one of to things, deice not to go into business, or go into business w/o a business plan and fail. And perhaps the first thing that will give you pause is that you should have one years worth of gross expenses in the bank before you ever open the doors. Yeah that will kick most ideas in the arse in a hurry. Don't do it and you WILL fail.
  Good luck, hope the dream does not turn into a nightmare. And try to stay away from the men in black and turn the envelope in on time. I know knew a Vnese lady that did not.

I need to know its true very risk to open a restaurant in Vietnam, if you aren't vietnamese local

poboyexpress wrote:

I need to know its true very risk to open a restaurant in Vietnam, if you aren't vietnamese local

Best you read the comments again, I think it's very clear.

Your thought is same as mine. But, Are there any way to make tortillas quick (if 50-100 people come)? and do you know how to make soft tortillas? I tried at home but I failed, they turned to naan

what are the food that you want to serve, sir? Guess your customers are tourists. How about local people? What are your sources? The price for each dish? I think these are the problem that you want to solve

Anyone can open a restaurant here. Just as anyone could open a restaurant in their mother country. But first you must advance past the dream stage to thinking in reality. My word if you can not make a tortilla successfully how many do you think would buy into your dream?
You have no status here other than as a tourist. How easy do you think your mother country would make it on tourist that drop anchor there too open a business. When you go to the local court in any city USA and want to file a claim against the American partner that fleeced you out of your money do you really think you would have any success. First of all the court must decide ion they have jurisdiction over you or your claim. Well guess what you have no right to work in America more do you have residence. So you have no jurisdictional claim to present to the court. Put another way, if you do not reside in the judges purview then he/she can not hear your claim.
  Yes, there are ways to legally work here in your own business. But you have to show proof of a large investment here and have the company set up properly. I know many who have done it. But they at least knew how to make what it was they wanted to sell. Perfect the tortilla recipe....then see if you have awoken from the dream. If you have then start developing a 5 year business plan, get yourself plenty envelopes and open for business.

poboyexpress wrote:

I know, But do you have any ideal for me

Hi, Are you looking for information to set up a restaurant or your looking for Ideas to running a restaurant?

No he is trying to learn how to cook!

Yes, can you walk me a little bit
Thanks

poboyexpress wrote:

Yes, can you walk me a little bit
Thanks

This thread is getting more bizarre with each passing day.

I can just hear the conversation and thinking in their house " Hey honey, I think if we could just learn to cook were could open a resturant here in Vietnam and make a killing. I think maybe we should start with something simple like flour tortillas. They only require flour, salt, baking powder , water and lard. Honey what is lard  we need something simply that we can make a hundred and hour to feed the rush of people.
  I think the fella was joking from the start.

Hi, I know what i wanted to open. I need to know what types process do i'd to do to open a restaurant in Vietnam?

poboyexpress wrote:

Hi, I know what i wanted to open. I need to know what types process do i'd to do to open a restaurant in Vietnam?

You should find layer or consultant company to teach you the process in Vietnam. Here people can share only there experience, not a Free consultant.

Been there done that

Give it a miss. Put your efforts and money somewhere else

It's not worth the grief

Many thanks! For ya'll advised.
So, too much troubles you meant

The effort and financial expenditure required to own and operate a successful business can become overwhelming.

Many, including established chains, have tried and failed. Too many variables, limited legal protection, unethical behaviour, and oppressive payment demands from the usual gangs make it a very risky business.

However, each to his own. If you want to lose funds then go ahead. Work yourself and your family to a standstill with limited profit and greedy plus unpredictable landlords.

It's your decision but approach with extreme caution