best place to open a restaurant in bali?

ali alavi

ali alavi

Member
Aug 30, 2009
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Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new here. I have a few questions regarding opening a restaurant business in Bali.

I've heard that the Kutah beach is the best place to open one since its the most populated area on the island.

I have no idea about the shop rentals in bali and if what I've been told is true or not. I already know the difficulties surrounding investment possibilities in Indonesia and Bali, but if you guys could be kind enough to give me a few tips regarding the shop rentals, and the high seasons and the low season on the island I'll be grateful.

Best regards,

Ali
 
N

Nakal

Member
Nov 9, 2006
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I suggest you go to Bali and have a look yourself.

Not to sound very blunt but if you have to ask this kind of question on a public forum you might as well transfer your money directly into my BCA account.

Buy a ticket and go there, and go again and again until you found out you will never beat the harsh competition unless you are willing to work your butt off for a penny.

Good luck!
 
tintin

tintin

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2005
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I second Nakal's suggestion. Come on, Ali, would you just walk in a place like Hawaii or Jamaica, and pretend,of all things, to open a restaurant,? Obviously, a troller...
 
B

bolli

Member
Nov 28, 2005
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And I think you should spend a month eating in as many restaurants as possible, looking at what works and what there is too much of.I cannot fathom why so many posters on another Bali forum put as high priorty.. "Aussie owned and Aussie food"
Look at what is not there and think about what food you can serve that is different, there are restaurants closing every month in Kuta, you need to be competitive and offer something unique.
You also need to understand the pitfalls of owning a business in Bali, speak to other expats who run restaurants, it is difficult to say the least.
 
L

lumumba

Member
Sep 17, 2008
489
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Bandung-Bali-Jakarta
Ali Alavi wrote:I've heard that the Kutah beach is the best place to open one since its the most populated area on the island.


It is also the most populated with restaurants, night clubs, fast food etc, etc.:icon_wink:


Tourist season: Bali can get packed in July -August and again around Christmas and New Year's.
Australians also visit during school holidays in early April, late June and late September. Indonesians visit during national holidays.

Outside these peaks, Bali can be surprisingly quiet and good discounts on accommodation are
often available.

NORMAL SEASON: Feb – Jun Oct - Nov
HIGH SEASON: Jul - Sep
PEAK SEASON: Dec – Jan

April-October dry season and November-March rain season
 
ali alavi

ali alavi

Member
Aug 30, 2009
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Thanks guys,

It seems that I have to travel to Bali to see for myself first hand. Actually the type of restaurant I'm planning to open is not operating anywhere in Bali. But I can't be sure since I have got this info
on websites promoting Bali.

By what you're saying lumumba Bali has an occupancy rate of about 70% (average) 5 months of the year and the rest of the year this climbs down to between 20-50%. Still it shouldn't be that bad?

Bolli, TinTin and Nakal, competition is everywhere but I take your word for it since Bali is a highly regarded holiday destination and F&B is one of the services provided to the holiday makers it is tough out there.

Is there any expats on this forum who actually owns a restaurant business in Bali? If so please give me a few pointers on the competition, suppliers of food materials etc.
 
N

Nakal

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Nov 9, 2006
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ali alavi said:
Is there any expats on this forum who actually owns a restaurant business in Bali? If so please give me a few pointers on the competition, suppliers of food materials etc.
Click to expand...

My sister does but she is not located in the southern area although she is married to a Balinese man. Even for her it is very difficult to make a living running a restaurant/cafe.
Even if you want to go through with this don't expect to get rich of it and make sure to have some deep pockets the first 5 years.
 
ali alavi

ali alavi

Member
Aug 30, 2009
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Thanks again guys,

What amazes me after reading your feedback is then who is making money serving food to all the hungry tourists? after all they have to eat somewhere. Where do they eat?

Either the tourists buy eggs and take back to their hotels and have eggs for as long as they're staying in Bali, or there must be something horribly wrong with the food service?

This is really mind boggling. I should most definitely come for a visit before I make my move.

Once again thanks guys, means a lot
 
spicyayam

spicyayam

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2009
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I think people are saying it's not impossible to make money with a restaurant, it's just not easy. If you already have a restaurant Ali, maybe you have some proven concepts that might work in Bali. Kuta is famous for Aussie tourists who come to Bali for a cheap holiday. I know it is hard to say before you actually come here, but who or what is your target market you have in mind?
 
H

hafri

Member
Sep 25, 2009
36
2
8
Hi Ali. Restaurant in Bali and Kuta can be a very good business. Many make more money in Bali than a restaurant back home and stick together and shop the bintang and stuff together 2 get the prices down. I dont know what u are up 2 but u can PM me if u want more details and meet some of us when u get 2 bali. Good Luck and welcome!
 
J

JUDY

Member
May 11, 2007
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seattle wa campuhan bali
Ali, one out of 50 I might accurately access can truly make a decent living owning a restaurant. Problem is.......TOO MANY AMAZING restaurants, warangs therefore, I believe the issue is number of tourists as compared to the number of restaurants to choice from in any given area. Live in Bali on and off for three years check it out yourself not merely one month one year. Save yourself alot of heartache. Then after you have observed first hand yourself, done a length analysis, lived in Bali for over three years, on and off then go for it.
 
ali alavi

ali alavi

Member
Aug 30, 2009
36
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SPICYAYAM, HAFRI AND JUDI,

Thank you all. I feel a lot better reading your comments already. Now this is more realistic. To tell you the truth, I have a BA in Hotel and Hospitality management from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. I have experience establishing restaurants here and there for my clients. I have lived in the region before, not Bali but KL and I'm sure the differences are vast in culture, business and so on. I've decided to look for a nice place, a holiday destination that enjoys a much more relaxed lifestyle than back home. My friends kept telling me about Bali and I really want to try it out over there. But I will take your word for it and travel first and see whats happening over there.

I am thinking opening an Iranian restaurant in Kuta. From my surveys on the internet and over here I've realized that most of the tourists that travel to Bali come from Australia and the Pacific region. So I'm modifying and playing with my menu to both be faithful to Iranian cuisine and at the same time please the bulk of tourists coming from those regions. If all goes well, I will visit Bali in a few months to come and take it from there.

Hafri Thanks, I will send you a private message and ask as many questions as I can before I wear you out with my curiosity.

Thank you all,

Ali
 
W

wepro

Member
Nov 8, 2005
95
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Canggu
Hello Ali, there is a Persian restaurant "Passargad" in Jl. Dhyna Pura. opened a few month ago.
It seems not very busy even the food is nice and good. But if you come to Bali you should have a look at it (if its still there).

Werner
 
ali alavi

ali alavi

Member
Aug 30, 2009
36
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WEPRO hi,

I know this is asking too much, but can I ask you to give me "Passargad's" contact details? Even in KL where the number of Iranians is very high Persian Restaurants have a difficulty attracting customers.

Most common problems restaurant owners wether Persian, Aussie, Italian...face might be the following:

a)No university degree in a related field

b)No prior experience to opening up their own shop

c)Lack of professional management

d) No market research and market study

e)Bad choice of location (location concerning the restaurant concept, size, etc. has to be different)

f)Miscalculation of start-up costs, sales forecasting, Pricing

g)Lack of menu engineering

and so on

I think I know the reasons why "Passargad" isn't attracting business even though as you said the food is nice. Contacting them might give me a broader insight to the situation I will be

facing when I open shop in Bali.

Thanks again for everything,

Ali
 
spicyayam

spicyayam

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2009
3,595
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It's just my feeling but I can't imagine people on holiday in Bali suddenly having a craving to eat Iranian food. I would love to try it and I am sure it is good to eat, but I don't think it would suit the holiday crowd. In my opinion people want to eat seafood, local dishes or comfort food like pizzas.
 
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