Thoughts on starting a bar in Argentina

[cafayate.com]

We moved to NW Argentina over a year ago and opened a restaurant/bar in December of 2008 and are now working on building a cervecería - we have lot's of research in to equipment and licensing.. lot's of work! It has been extremely challenging but if you have patience and time, everything for us fell in to place. We couldn't have done it without having important people in the community help, our accoutant, and an escribana. Although I don't have experience in BA - in small town Argentina it's not impossible, locals and foreigners have really embraced us and even with tourism down, we are at least surviving and growing - even if it is a bit slower than we anticipated.

 

[gusgutier]

I own a business here and have honestly a lot of what I read on this blog (and others) related to bribes, kickbacks, corruption I find to be untrue, in my case at least. I have never once been solicited for a bribe, payoff, or otherwise from the police, tax colletor or otherwise. If you have all of your paperwork and licenses up to date and proof they are paid, nobody will demand anything from you. If anybody has any questions I would be glad to answer them regarding starting an SRL, working with AFIP, ingresos brutos, habilitación municipal or otherwise. Best of luck.
www.candylandshop.com.ar

How are you doing with your bussiness? Is it running up? I hope it does.

 

[Davidglen77]

Business is going well, in my first 2 months I've been able to cover ALL of my expenses, including taxes and buy new inventory. Last month growth was flat due to the gripe 'A' problem, but we did finish the month ahead of the game. The neighborhood I am in has 0 expats, but some do venture out and visit since we are at the end of the B subway line and have quite a few products from the USA as well as WIFI. The people in the neighborhood when they find out I am american are truly amazed that I would take this kind of a chance outside of the expat zone. Thanks for your good wishes!
www.candylandshop.com.ar

 

[gusgutier]

Business is going well, in my first 2 months I've been able to cover ALL of my expenses, including taxes and buy new inventory. Last month growth was flat due to the gripe 'A' problem, but we did finish the month ahead of the game. The neighborhood I am in has 0 expats, but some do venture out and visit since we are at the end of the B subway line and have quite a few products from the USA as well as WIFI. The people in the neighborhood when they find out I am american are truly amazed that I would take this kind of a chance outside of the expat zone. Thanks for your good wishes!
www.candylandshop.com.ar

Happy you are in the road

 

[steveinbsas]

I suggest you visit all of the expat bars in BA and see how they are doing. It should be a lot of fun if you like to consume adult beverages. It would also be interesting to see if any of the owners are interested in selling their business. In my opinion that is the best market research possible. If anyone wants to sell, it will also help you calculate how much of a gain or loss from you initial investment (cost of equipment, fixtures, labor, propina, etc.) you might realize if and when you want to get out. But a note of caution: you won't have the same level of recourse in Argentina when you get ripped off by your employees (or even your partners) as you would in NY...and you may find yourself on the (legal) defense even after you terminate employees with good reason.

 

[Patriciabowman]

HEy, I´ve got an Argentinean friend that has been looking for a partner to start a Bar. He got really good ideas and has been searching for all you need to start one. You should get in touch with him! his e-mail is: [email protected]
I´ll let him know u´ll contact him.
Good Luck!

 

[Mitch]

Hi - so I'm currently employed in NYC but am thinking I need a serious change of scene, very tired of a desk job etc. I spent a long period of my life traveling and thoroughly enjoyed it, for whatever reason I like being abroad.

Anyway, I'd like to own my own business, specifically a bar (have a lot of passion for beer in particular, I like to brew it, I go on beer tours of other countries when I can). And while i'd love to do it here in NYC, the startup capital required is enormous (500k us$ or more) and the competition is absolutely cutthroat.

So logically that brought me to this forum and thinking of the idea of relocating to BA and starting up my own place over there. I have researched costs a bit and am relatively certain that I have enough, if need be, to go all in on my own, but more likely I will have some partners (from here in the US) to help me in. My idea is to run a bar with a theme towards higher end (imported) micro-brewed and craft beers, as are popular here, and as I've heard are not easy to find in BA (and presumably tough to import, but hey...). And of course, cold quilmes on draft if your tastes run to more pedestrian fare.

Note, I'm not doing this to strike it rich, or make tons of money, or anything like that, I'm just honestly looking for something that will support me for a few years, and the thought of dropping a few 100 k on an expensive apartment here in NYC and going at teh rat race for the rest of my life is depressing, rather put my money to more exciting ends.

Anyway, interested in hearing all of your thoughts re my crazy-ass plan.

Absolutley don´t even think of doing it here. Whatever you think is rational does not apply here. Any business model you would make would be a joke secretly laughed at by anyone here who knows how things really go down. You will never meet a foreigner that has opened anything in any type of retail business that was not tortured by the differences in culture. I have lived here 6 years and can give you a list of people that have been brutalized and are being brutalized in their endeavors here. Export tech over the wires, is one of the few things that works.

 

[Brook]

Hi Cerveza
I have absolutely no experience in running any kind of business anywhere and my only experience in bars is drinking or working at them.....But go for gold I say! The worst thing that can happen is that you will lose money. So what? Life is too short and who wants to die wondering about anything.

If you do start it up, email me at [email protected] and I will tell everyone I know to go there. I mean it....so it better be good!

Good luck!!!
Cheers
Brook

 

[John.St]

... b) knows the right people (prob even more important!) ...
Best advice - talk to someone who has done it. I can tell you about incorps, etc but mine are corp related, not in the hospitality/bar industry.

Read citygirl's above advice at least twice.

You can probably do it, but a realiable Argentino friend who knows how to "play the tune" and how, when and where to pull the strings is invaluable. Jeez - in Chile if I hadn't met Bernardo - abogado especialista en industrias and a friend of a friend ...

 

[ryanmpls]

NY Pizza would be a big hit!

I would be a daily customer that's for sure!