So I'm opening my own coffee shop

I think that is a good idea.

Cool. Glad that you think so. Hope to meet you one day at my cafe

Yeah, i think in a short time a lot of people will know about it and they will come to study English. It is not a new thing but no more English club in HCM now.

Yeah I want it as a meeting point for expats as well. I'm mostly speaking Vietnamese nowadays so it is good to converse in Aussie English. Kinda miss it. Hihi

GDay mate, kinda far for me but I will try anything once.

Just A Guy wrote:

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I last logged onto Expat.com. So I've been in Vietnam for nearly three months. Such an experience and a learning curve. With the help of my family and friends, I'm opening a garden cafe called The Vine at 38 Nguyen Thi Huynh, Ward 11, Dist Phu Nhuan. It's about 400m2 in a quiet area so it's really nice. It's under renovation and some repairing so won't be opening until the 17th of this month.

Anyway, I'm thinking of setting up an English club at my coffee shop and I'm wondering if anybody is interested in helping me in this venture. It's a totally free service that I will be providing, barring the cost of the drinks or the odd snacks.

So what do you think?

Cheers,

Justin

Been considering doing the same with a mate of mine. Will visit you in Sept. when I pop over.

Hope ur coffe shop will bussiness well...I will go there. ♡♥♡.

Yuli

I wanted to do the same thing...however, because there are thousands if not "millions" of coffee shops in Vietnam, I wouldn't survive.  A lot of coffee shops hire girls in skimpy outfits to attract their clients and make a ton of money but I'm just not into that (exploiting women for profit). 

If your main draw is the English speaking club, you'll have to lead it and it will definitely drain your time.  I once went to an English speaking club and found out that the leader usually does a lot of the preparatory work and members just show up.  The members usually goof off if the leader isn't focused. 

So let me ask you this...have you thought of making your coffee shop entirely English speaking?  Like they're in a coffee shop in Australia?

Customers would come in and have to order a drink in English.  They want to chat among themselves, they'd have to talk in English.  The hear Olivia Newton John songs on the loudspeakers.  It is..."little Australia".

You'd have a giant competitive advantage over anyone else.  Why?  Because not every coffee shop owner can speak English, like a native.  They can hire the girls but they can't speak Australian English like you can. 

There are a lot of students who want to learn English but there isn't the opportunity to practice it in a safe setting.  They go to schools to learn English in an academic setting; they go to the language centers and maybe get taught by a native speaker once a week in an academic setting.  The students don't get to practice their English skills in a real life situation with someone who can help them pronounce the English language correctly.

"Can we buy tree gla of coffee here?"

"Sure, you can buy THRee glassssssesssss of coffee.  Try throwing your R like you're spitting and focus on the ending S sound."

That's just the students...how about the office workers?  There's a good market for this.  You're not selling them a caffeinated beverage...but an Australian atmosphere.

Hey thanks so much in advance. Looking forward to see you here when the coffee shop finally opens.

Awesome, looking forward to seeing you in Sept. Let me know if you need a local guide as I'm becoming one myself. LOL

Thank you. Will open on the 17th and the grand opening on the 19th

That's not what I'm thinking of, actually. More of a Vietnamese garden cafe but with first class Australian-style customer service and work ethics.

I, however will create and foster an environment where my cafe also functions as an English club for those who seek it and actively participate in the club gatherings.

I'm very new to organising this and setting agendas so I hope you guys can assist me in this. I really do want this club to survive and thrive.

Thank you all.

you will likely face a number of challenges when starting out your business here, but you will not know if you dont try. Glad to hear that you r opeing  your cafe  functions as an English club, hope i can " tatse  good cafe' " and also can practise my english..Awaiting!

Good luck:)Cheers ^^

Selena Chinh wrote:

you will likely face a number of challenges when starting out your business here, but you will not know if you dont try. Glad to hear that you r opeing  your cafe  functions as an English club, hope i can " tatse  good cafe' " and also can practise my english..Awaiting!

Good luck:)Cheers ^^

Thanks Selena. My aim is to provide good coffee and other drinks, plus a serene and conduicive environment for language exchange and simple relaxation and fun. Hope you can be part of this project.

Heh, it sounds nice. Definitely would check it out one day. Best of luck with everything Justin. And if you need any helps in that Language exchange project just let me know.

Cheers.

Just A Guy,

If you need a hand to set up an English Club, let me know. I do wish to hold a qualified one to help people who want to improve English through social activities.

Kiku
P/S: Im addicted to coffee.

hello Just A Guy,
your idea consider sounds great. I am having a plan like you as well, but i am still not afford in current context.
Hope in the near future, my plan become true.

After your cafe' opened, i will come on a certain day

Best wish,

Hi,
do you need some tradional games like bullriding?
Tuan

38 Nguyen Thi Huynh, Ward 11, Dist Phu Nhuan

Yeah, I will come.

Cheers.

Hii,,
if you need a cool bartender in the club just let me know ..i miss making drinks just let me know its my pleasure to help..,as i worked also a bar manager before..i'm just kinda with my new job now so im looking something to do at night....

Just A Guy wrote:

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I last logged onto Expat.com. So I've been in Vietnam for nearly three months. Such an experience and a learning curve. With the help of my family and friends, I'm opening a garden cafe called The Vine at 38 Nguyen Thi Huynh, Ward 11, Dist Phu Nhuan. It's about 400m2 in a quiet area so it's really nice. It's under renovation and some repairing so won't be opening until the 17th of this month.

Anyway, I'm thinking of setting up an English club at my coffee shop and I'm wondering if anybody is interested in helping me in this venture. It's a totally free service that I will be providing, barring the cost of the drinks or the odd snacks.

So what do you think?

Cheers,

Justin

Just A Guy wrote:

Awesome, looking forward to seeing you in Sept. Let me know if you need a local guide as I'm becoming one myself. LOL

Appreciate the offer mate, thanks in advance. Working on a cafe in Syd with another partner here atm. Perhaps we can look into working on one together at some point in the future, if you're up for a 2nd cafe in HCMC. Anyway, speak more once I get there?

All the best with the opening.

That's a great idea. I am an enthusiastic entrepreneur who have been in several English speaking coffee shops. Feel free to contact me if you need any advice.

Good luck

good idea, i will arrange to join in ,,,see you guys!

Anhtuancologne wrote:

Hi,
do you need some tradional games like bullriding?
Tuan

Not sure what you're talking about.

francis.pham wrote:

38 Nguyen Thi Huynh, Ward 11, Dist Phu Nhuan

Yeah, I will come.

Cheers.

Awesome, hope to see you soon. My cafe will open in 4 days' time. Fingers crossed.

akoaysibrey wrote:

Hii,,
if you need a cool bartender in the club just let me know ..i miss making drinks just let me know its my pleasure to help..,as i worked also a bar manager before..i'm just kinda with my new job now so im looking something to do at night....

Just A Guy wrote:

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I last logged onto Expat.com. So I've been in Vietnam for nearly three months. Such an experience and a learning curve. With the help of my family and friends, I'm opening a garden cafe called The Vine at 38 Nguyen Thi Huynh, Ward 11, Dist Phu Nhuan. It's about 400m2 in a quiet area so it's really nice. It's under renovation and some repairing so won't be opening until the 17th of this month.

Anyway, I'm thinking of setting up an English club at my coffee shop and I'm wondering if anybody is interested in helping me in this venture. It's a totally free service that I will be providing, barring the cost of the drinks or the odd snacks.

So what do you think?

Cheers,

Justin

Not at the moment, but I'll entertain this option for some time in the future.

OzOzOz wrote:

Just A Guy wrote:

Awesome, looking forward to seeing you in Sept. Let me know if you need a local guide as I'm becoming one myself. LOL

Appreciate the offer mate, thanks in advance. Working on a cafe in Syd with another partner here atm. Perhaps we can look into working on one together at some point in the future, if you're up for a 2nd cafe in HCMC. Anyway, speak more once I get there?

All the best with the opening.

I'm keeping all my options open. Good luck with the cafe in Sydney and see you soon in Vietnam.

Tony_Nguyen wrote:

That's a great idea. I am an enthusiastic entrepreneur who have been in several English speaking coffee shops. Feel free to contact me if you need any advice.

Good luck

Awesome. Can't wait to get your feedback so that I can improve on my own cafe. I'm still an amateur. LOL

Truong Xuan wrote:

good idea, i will arrange to join in ,,,see you guys!

Welcome aboard. Hope to see you at The Vine. hehehe

Put up Board "English Corner"

...

Good luck with it, owning a business here is not easy, especially when you get called upon by government officials.

Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. I know doing business is very hard over here, just so many stumbling blocks and people trying to make your life a little bit harder.

Hey guys, starting from the opening day tomorrow, we will have 15% discount on all drinks throughout the day and from 6pm will be 25%, Monday to Sunday. This offer ends on 15/09/2013.

There will be other specials to come. Hope to see you guys at the Vine.

"A Vietnamese garden cafe but with first class Australian-style customer service and work ethics"

Since when Aussie being known for customer service?

Best of luck with the Vine.

Have you been to Australia to know.

colinoscapee wrote:

Have you been to Australia to know.

Few times.

Probably heading that way next month.

No table service at darlling harbour & opera house bar kinda shocking.

Well bars a different to cafes and restaurants, usually at bars you order and collect at the bar.

Well..."Mr. or Ms. Australian" ~

Kinda late for debating at this time of the nite

We don't have to agree.

Everyone have been in different places in the this world and experienced differently so our standard of customer service probably are not the same anyway.