# Container Bar in Javea



## Henry327 (Sep 13, 2018)

Hi Guys

Have just had a 20ft container bar made and after two years of travelling Italy, France, Spain etc we fell in love with Javea and it's surrounding areas, /SNIP/We don't want to 'make money', just enjoy 10 years or so of our lives in Spain, work hard, We are fed up of the hard slog of commute, offices etc.

The questions I have are based on the negativity surrounding opening bars in Spain on most forums

1) We will have no paid staff, just the two of us
2) I have contacted a few wholesalers, does anyone know any decent ones in the area.
I can get a decent wine for 6 euros in bulk retail at 14 euros, different beers 1 euro retail at 2.50 etc
3) Any contacts to rent space with a busy footfall in the area
4) Surely a bar can survive only having to make 135 euros a day?
5) We are looking to pitch the 3 euro gin, 14 euro decent bottle of wine market, sitting in the sun in nice surroundings, it seemed quite an affluent area and some bars we went in were 5 euros beer and busy.

We are going out again in November to sharpen up on the area.
We are not looking for the 50p a pint market or to compete with the English breakfast and a pint for 3 euros, we seemed to think there will be a dozen or so people every day that enjoy special service and will pay above the average.

The burning question is are we right or wrong with this area????

Many Thanks in advance


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Henry327 said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> Have just had a 20ft container bar made and after two years of travelling Italy, France, Spain etc we fell in love with Javea and it's surrounding areas, /SNIP/We don't want to 'make money', just enjoy 10 years or so of our lives in Spain, work hard, We are fed up of the hard slog of commute, offices etc.
> 
> ...


:welcome:

Interesting idea...

We have had food truck events as part of a couple of fiestas in the past couple of years - they were pretty popular. But they were just one day novelty events.

You're right, Jávea is an affluent area - with many bars charging considerably more than that - G&T at 5€ is more like the price except in hidden away bars.

I suspect your biggest problem might be finding somewhere to site it. All the usual food & alcohol licences will be required, and bars are limited to certain areas. The busy footfall areas would be the port, town & Arenal, all of which have many bars & some empty units. You could visit a different bar or restaurant in Jávea every day for a year & not go to the same one twice

Have you thought about private event catering? 

You could try getting in touch with the Jávea restaurateurs association INICIO - ARX

They could let you know about licence requirements & so on.


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## Henry327 (Sep 13, 2018)

Thank you so much for the reply, sounds promising.

The bar could be taken to festivals etc up and down the coast also

Really appreciate your insight.

Thanks


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Strange you say you want to get away from the hard slog of commute, offices etc and yet want to be open all
hours and particularly working anti-social hours in a bar. 
Ok it might be your own business but really - with many IT workers working from home ( or week in the office
and the other week, work from home ) & the gig economy thriving with the Digital Nomads; who's des res
tends to be Lisbon or the CDS, reckoning they can retire on what they're pulling in by the time they're
in their 40's.

Bar work or Bar Manager just doesn't stack up against that.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Williams2 said:


> Strange you say you want to get away from the hard slog of commute, offices etc and yet want to be open all
> hours and particularly working anti-social hours in a bar.
> Ok it might be your own business but really - with many IT workers working from home and the gig economy
> thriving with the Digital Nomads; who's des res tends to be the CDS, reckoning they can retire on what they're
> ...


Jávea is nowhere near the CDS...


beyond that, I'm not sure what your point is!


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> Jávea is nowhere near the CDS...
> 
> beyond that, I'm not sure what your point is!


CDS is still in Spain but basically there are easier ways of getting away from the grind of the commute jobs & making a
good living in the big wide world these days than the default job of Bar work.

Anyway he's clarified the point - that he doesn't mind hard graft - so long as its graft working for himself.


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## Henry327 (Sep 13, 2018)

Thanks for the input.

Not really sure what you are getting at.

Don't mind hard graft in the sun, not stuck in a train etc, office, surrounded by self important people, looking grey and miserable.

We just want a different aspect to life for 10 years or so, we will have a mortgage free property to come back too and a 40k container bar to sell if we are not enjoying it.

Suppose we just want to try something different and exciting.

Thanks


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I don't know the area; the idea in itself sounds workable BUT as xabia says finding a site may be difficult, especially if there are empty units in prime spots. I also think you might find that at least at first that eventing would be a better way to go. Not sure how you'd go about that though...
Also I do think that Williams has a point about "grafting". Having a bar is very hard work...


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

Henry327 said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> Have just had a 20ft container bar made and after two years of travelling Italy, France, Spain etc we fell in love with Javea and it's surrounding areas, /SNIP/We don't want to 'make money', just enjoy 10 years or so of our lives in Spain, work hard, We are fed up of the hard slog of commute, offices etc.
> 
> ...




Kind of reminds me of a 60’s phrase “If it feels good, do it!” You are right if it feels right to you. And, what the heck is a container bar? The bar part I got. Good luck.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I might be wrong, but as far as I am aware the license to sell alcohol has to be linked to a fixed premises, so as an owner of a "portable" bar, you may not need that specific licence. The sites where you take would however need to have it.


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## cermignano (Feb 9, 2017)

Probably a street seller type license like market stallers have


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

5 Euros for a beer in Javea. Where were you?

I've never paid that much.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

I don't know about a container bar. There's nothing at all like it already so it'll be unique. Probably the closest thing to it we have at the moment are the beach bars but they are seasonal and pay a large concession fee.

Maybe I am having trouble imagining a container bar, but the picture that comes into my head doesn't go along with the "comfortable" description. It'd have to be a very nice container to get me to stand/sit in it from Jan through to March!

Would this thing move about a lot or be a permanent fixture albeit in the portable unit?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Horlics said:


> I don't know about a container bar. There's nothing at all like it already so it'll be unique. Probably the closest thing to it we have at the moment are the beach bars but they are seasonal and pay a large concession fee.
> 
> Maybe I am having trouble imagining a container bar, but the picture that comes into my head doesn't go along with the "comfortable" description. It'd have to be a very nice container to get me to stand/sit in it from Jan through to March!
> 
> Would this thing move about a lot or be a permanent fixture albeit in the portable unit?


Yes, the chiringuitos in Jávea are paying between 28,000€ & 85,000€ per year. The new four year contract started this summer. The fees are decided by companies bidding for the contracts. 

They are allowed to open for just 15 weeks per year, during the summer months.


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## growurown (Sep 3, 2018)

maureensco said:


> Probably a street seller type license like market stallers have


They do not sell "open" alcohol though...It is also very hard to get a permit for a terrace also. At least in Valencia. One dutch bar took almost 2 years for 4 tables outside and even a chair outside would get a call to the police from the competition....

I heard it is illegal to drink on the streets here in Spain. Though I do walk down the street(s) drinking a 33cl beer on my way to my designation.

I just wonder how is this fellow going to move this huge thing. And the damage inside when he plonks it down.. Do EU licenses transfer the required weight limits on the size of truck that will be needed to transport this?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Similar concept - Food trucks. Still "causando furor" in Spain. Here's a guide of how to do it
https://elpais.com/economia/2015/07/06/actualidad/1436184586_437476.html


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## Henry327 (Sep 13, 2018)

Interesting stuff thank you all.

These reasons could be why there are very few in Spain.

They are beginning to very become popular in the UK but it seems Spain may have different laws etc



Thanks


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## Henry327 (Sep 13, 2018)

The cost is worrying also, no wonder so many shut down with ridiculous rates
My friend has just opened one very similar in NW England doing very well because no business rates and very low rent £300 p/m


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## Henry327 (Sep 13, 2018)

Here's a link to what they look like if anyone is struggling to invisage

https://www.google.com/search?q=con...Ke1677dAhXkDsAKHadhCKEQ9QEwAXoECAQQBg#imgrc=_


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Henry327 said:


> Here's a link to what they look like if anyone is struggling to invisage
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=container+bar&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=_DPEudNISemjKM%253A%252CDq_mkPPwcUNrjM%252C_&usg=AFrqEzfQjxFFM_ebnDQT-iMWRrlrWYKwcw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjG9Ke1677dAhXkDsAKHadhCKEQ9QEwAXoECAQQBg#imgrc=_


 I think it's great and could do really well in Spain. There have always been beach "chiringitos" all over and they are arrive in the summer and disappear in the winter, and there is the possiblility of events BUT


> *Henry327*
> They are beginning to very become popular in the UK but it seems Spain may have different laws etc


As you yourself say, Spain is different, different market and very important, different laws = different costs. I think you need to do research yourself here around the different possible areas and visiting the local town halls (armed with photos to show what you mean) and see how feasible it is, what licenses you'd need and what the cost will really be


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Henry327 said:


> Here's a link to what they look like if anyone is struggling to invisage
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=con...Ke1677dAhXkDsAKHadhCKEQ9QEwAXoECAQQBg#imgrc=_


Sure they had a little village of these set up in Bonaire (Valencia) a couple of years back when the big refurb was going on inside, certainly looked like them anyway.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

They look great. BTW, the reason those beach bar rents are so expensive is because they are located close to the sea... a few metres, so rent elsewhere would be different if they would allow it.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

growurown said:


> I heard it is illegal to drink on the streets here in Spain.


Depends on local byelaws. Where I am, they only enforce this when the feria is on - and after midnight.

But who wants to drink on the streets anyway, unless you've got a bit of a drink problem, or with a gang of teenagers?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Horlics said:


> They look great. BTW, the reason those beach bar rents are so expensive is because they are located close to the sea... a few metres, so rent elsewhere would be different if they would allow it.


Yes, right on the beach!

It isn't really rent as such. Every 4 years interested individuals & companies bid for the contracts. 

Obviously they have to fulfill certain other conditions, but iirc bidding starts at 11,000€ per year. The company willing to pay 85,000€ per year obviously believes that that particular spot is worth it!


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## growurown (Sep 3, 2018)

I wonder if this person has taken into account the €250 or so per person (him & wife) per month - every month, tax on being self-employed. That is alot of €3 pints.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

If registering as autonomo for the first time, they need pay only €50 per month for the first year.

https://infoautonomos.eleconomista....-plana-autonomos-50-euros-mayores-30-jovenes/

There are also reductions in the contributions in year two, as detailed in the link.


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## growurown (Sep 3, 2018)

Lynn R said:


> If registering as autonomo for the first time, they need pay only €50 per month for the first year.
> 
> https://infoautonomos.eleconomista....-plana-autonomos-50-euros-mayores-30-jovenes/
> 
> There are also reductions in the contributions in year two, as detailed in the link.


Thanks for that. So it seems this is a 2 year business for the OP and not 10.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

growurown said:


> Thanks for that. So it seems this is a 2 year business for the OP and not 10.


No, it means he can gauge after two years if it’s worth carrying on, that’s the point of reduced payments.

OP there are also grants to be had when registering for the first time. 

On top of these costs remember you’ll have to be registered VAT. 

I would suggest you speak to a Gestor about the hidden costs


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

growurown said:


> Thanks for that. So it seems this is a 2 year business for the OP and not 10.


No, it just seems that you don't bother to check the facts before posting incomplete or incorrect information, which is not helpful to anybody.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> No, it just seems that you don't bother to check the facts before posting incomplete or incorrect information, which is not helpful to anybody.


Comments which imho are not worth entering into conversation with the poster over. Just correct and carry on...


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## growurown (Sep 3, 2018)

Megsmum said:


> No, it means he can gauge after two years if it’s worth carrying on, that’s the point of reduced payments.


A €40,000 investment down the drain in 2 years.. Me thinks more before investing planning & research should have been made here. There is always cold, less tax & rainy England...


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