Hello everybody. In 2012 I first came to paphos for a job in the Aphrodite hills resort in Kouklia. That was a life changing experience for me, in terms of me falling in love with Cyprus. I quit the job shortly after I came because I wanted to explore other opportunities in Paphos. That was a right move for me at the time, because working in a kitchen for 10 hours a day didn’t leave me much time for anything really, and I felt I was missing out on what the island had to offer. My luck was that while working in the hotel, I was given accommodation in Geroskipou, and when I quit the job, I was allowed to spend two more weeks at the house before clearing out, to find somewhere else to crash. Riding my bike to the harbour one evening, I made friends with a cypriot guy that turned out to become one of my best friends. From there on out he introduced me to his family, put food in my plate when i didn’t have the money, and made sure that he included me in every odd job that he did during that summer. We made gardens, did bar work together at riccos beach in geroskipou at a beach bar one of his closest friends owned, he got me a job at a carwash another friend of his
Owned, I even did night security at a small casino. I’m not ashamed to say I was willing to work anything decent that summer just to spend more time there. And I did. It wasn’t easy at times, but hand on heart, now when I reminisce, it’s one of the best times of my life.
Eventually I went back home in Romania, but I knew I was hooked. In the next years I travelled a lot, studied Tourism business management in the UK, where I spent 4 years. I’m really nostalgic when I think about England as well, but I always had in the back of my head that I need to do something in Paphos. Every year I went at least for a week or two during the summer, and every time I fell in love with the place all over again. When I finished uni, I was locked on the idea to open a small bar or mobile business somewhere around Paphos, so fall of 2016 I left England, went straight to Paphos and started speculating. Unfortunately, I wasn’t properly prepared with a business plan so the municipality kind of laughed in our face( i was with a friend from Romania at the time, who wanted to get involved as well). That reality sank in, that we weren’t actually prepared to take on the challenge of starting a business in a foreign country with no substantial income, so we decided to take the idea back home, where we had all the necessary contacts and support. In other words, I chose the easy way, but I came to realise that risking is good, and I should have tried. I opened a specialty coffee shop in my home town, and it’s been a hardworking, nerve-wracking, beautiful experience altogether. I have the best coffee in town, I interact mostly with quality people, the money is ok ish, but hey, quality of life is a factor too. So I find myself still missing Paphos, my cypriot family and everything that I so love about that place.
I’ m thinking to sell the business here in the next period of time and to do what I wanted to do 4 years ago, but the right way. It’ s a difficult time now, I know, but when all this situation will clear out and the tourism and services sector recovers, people will get back to their habits.
I want to open a nice little food/coffee place in Paphos, and from what I see anually, the harbour is the best place to be. Daytime is getting hotter and hotter every year, so I m thinking a evening- oriented schedule. Bar street is dead, or at least it was last year when I passed it. If anybody living in Paphos for a longer period of time would be kind enough to share some other ideas on where I should ideally set up, I would appreciate it. Last year I went to Kato Pafos to check out the coffee scene. It was sad. Small coffee shop owners telling me there’s no demand for specialty coffee, to let signs all over the place, just a sad vibe. To be frank, as hot as it is, I wouldn’ t enjoy a warm flat white either in the middle of the day, but I still think there’ s room for quality coffee, even in a cold form.
I Always said that if I start a business in Paphos, it will be for the tourists, as british people who visit Cyprus are used to quality coffee from back home. At the same time, I’ m looking to target people on a holiday who are there specifically to have a good time and spend money, so offering a quality service would be key. Again, if anybody has any advice or ideas on how I could take on this challenge, I’ m trying to gather as much info as possible for people living there on a daily basis. Sorry for the long novel, I just felt the need to put everything in context for someone who’s wondering why a Romanian lad who in the last 10 years has travelled and lived in all kinds of places wants to move to the island. I asked myself that question over and over. It just has a magic that no other place gave me. I guess it touched me somehow, that summer eight years ago.
I hope everyone’s okay, all things considered, and may we get through these crazy times with our head up and a smile on our faces. Stay positive! Stay healthy! Thank you for pulling through this text if you have! Any advice is great, as long as it’s on a polite note.
Have a wonderful day everyone.
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