The small Asian business lesson continued last night over dinner with Sone. He started his business in Laos by renting a building with two floors -- the bottom floor for the business and the top floor to live. This is a common setup here; my friend AJ in Samui, who runs a language school, did the same thing.
When Rupert and I visited Luang Prabang last year, Sone's business was just a bar. But now he has added a kitchen and serves food (on the menu: Chicken Fried Rice for US$1). The next step is to build a beer garden in the area behind the building.
The other smart thing that Sone did was to make more rooms out of the upstairs area, and now his housekeeper/cook and his other staff live in the same building as well. They don't make much in salary, but room and board is included. Another good idea to keep costs low!
Other little tidbits of information I got:
* The prices at Sidetrack Bar are in Lao Kip (not dollar or baht). Otherwise the Lao customers will not come because they think the place is for foreigners only.
* The foreigners (more and more all the time) come early and leave early and the Lao customers come late and leave late.
* The foreigners like to complain that Sone's prices are too high. I guess that is because they expect that Laos will be cheap, but as I said before, you have to remember that everything (except for Beer Lao and Lao Whisky) has to be imported from Thailand. Perhaps they are just trying to bargain with him. In any case, when Rupert and I visited the place was packed with Lao people. When the prices are good for local people, they are good for me!
Obviously, a successful business?!?
What is the nightlife schedule of those who love to work and play? You mentioned that the Lao customers come late and leave late. Is this because they work late, go home eat, then socialize with friends over Beer Lao?
I suppose what I am asking is, what is a typical days like in Laos and Thailand? Not only yours, but for the locals as well?
Love you!!
Hmm. Good question. I have been trying to figure out people's schedules and it seems to vary. In the countryside, perhaps the old people go to bed early and wake up early to set up their shops in the market selling food and other things in the morning while the youngsters stay out late. Because of this, it seems that most placse always have people up at all hours. I guess it's not that different than anywhere else, come to think of it...