Looking for Investors for Exciting NEW Restaurant... INDIAN!

Hi faithandsaji,

Posting an advert in the Business partners classifieds in Uruguay with details of the project and the kind of investment you are looking for, might help you in settling up this restaurant project. Thank you!

Regards,

David.

Thanks for the tip... we're just swinging for the fence, you know.  My Mom always told me you never get anything if you don't ask.  I know the market is there, and the desire to see something like this happen.  I figure we'll start stacking up referrals and information until it builds into the dream....

I think you need to question if many people here want something different.  Most of the Uruguayans we have met are perfectly happy with their traditional foods and aren't  interested in anything spicy, different or foreign.
The expats possibly but they are a pretty small group and are not all in one place. Your comment that there is a market and desire for this may be open for debate.

Apart from MVD, many restaurants only open on weekends as there just isn't the demand for eating out except from Dec to March.

I think Paraguay, Chile and Ecuador are more likely.

Much as I love the idea of an Indian restaurant, I have to agree with morell. There are some excellent "different" restaurants along the coast (now, or soon, only open on weekends): Armenian in Solís, French(ish) in Guazuvirá. But neither serves anything particularly spicy, and spice is anathema to the Uruguayan palate. Even in the most gringo-infested areas, I don't think it would be advisable to try to sustain a restaurant which exists basically for foreigners.

faithandsaji wrote:

I am an American married to an Indian chef ... yum!  We have been living in India for most of the last 7 years but are ready for a change.  Needless to say, the rupee doesn't go very far anywhere else in the world!  So we're looking for investors who want to help us realize a dream and to bring culinary diversity to a country that needs a bit of spicing up!

Saji is a hotel trained chef of North and South Indian cuisine, with work experience in Mumbai and Kerala. I am a 22 year veteran of the restaurant and hotel industry.  Between us, we are ready to make the perfect small restaurant happen.  We know that vegetarian and ethnic foods are hard to find in both Uruguay and Argentina, and we're ready to change that. Given the increase in Expats, the expansion of foreign companies in the region, and the increased visibility of Uruguay on the international circuit, we feel the time is ripe to open a small boutique Indian restaurant on the coast.  We've got the skills, but we need help with the dough!

If anyone is interested in being a part of this, either as an investment opportunity or just because they're dying for some authentic Indian cooking, please let me know.  Also, if you know of any resources that can help us get this dream machine off the ground, I would love to hear from you!!!

Hi Faith & Saji,

1). By now you should have known that this is not the place to advertise for investors.
If you read the posts here, you could judge for yourself with whom and what topics you are dealing.

2). As a 22-year pro, you should have enough contacts to approach with your business plan or have enough knowledge how to go about start-ups.

3). Restaurant is bad business and I would never invest $100 in one.  Never did, never will.
If you find an investor, you should actually wonder what a fool he could actually be to invest.

I know the new restaurant is your baby, but that does not mean the baby will run faster than Usain Bolt (if you catch my drift).

4). If your start up holds great promise, you should immediately turn to your (extended) family and  (close) friends for seed funding.
Check with the local Chamber of Commerce for meetings with investors.
Approach wealthy local men always watching not to get yourself involved with drug money.
Talk to the best 3-4 accountants to hear what they advise you and whether they are interested in advertising for investors on your behalf to their clients.
Gravitate around investor web sites for direct investors.
Talk to other restaurant owners (the big ones first) to see if your new restaurant is a good idea and whether they are interested to invest with you.
See if there are other newcomers to your area with expertise and cash you require.

Perhaps, to get going, you may want to forget about the restaurant and start a small eatery which you and your husband can handle without too much financial input and no employees.  If it's going to work, then you will think about the restaurant when the eatery works, NOT BEFORE.

Before anything else, make sure your business plan is flawless and ready.
Is it?   

I can advise you more, but since I shall not invest, all I can say is Good Luck.