# Opening a business....?



## toebeenz (Oct 17, 2009)

My wife and I are researching a move to Cyprus. I am a natural health practitioner dealing with sports injuries and other musculoskeletal problems and would wish to practice as a self-employed person and my wife is Thai and has worked in the hospitality and hotel trade in Bangkok. I am banking on the 'aches and pains department' to provide me with a means to generate income and, for my wife, we would like to open a coffee shop.

Are coffee shops a viable proposition, subject to the usual conditions like location, etc, or are there so many that every other shop is a coffee shop desperate for customers?

My observations while on worldly travels have been that in most places the smell of freshly brewed coffee and a display of sticky buns tends to draw in a steady stream of customers. How do the locals view such ventures by ex-pats?

Comments of alternative suggestions would be very welcome....

Many thanks!


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## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

There are many, many coffee shops of all sizes, price range and class all over Cyprus plus whenever you go anywhere you are always offered a coffee. Also, not a huge profit margin as I'm sure you already know. There are also Starbucks, Costa Coffee and other big ones who likely do make a good profit charging an arm and a leg for a cup. 

One thing that is missing but I am not sure how it would do in Cyprus is a place that offers to-go coffees like a drive-thru coffee hut in a busy area where people on their way to work could drive through for a coffee on the go and a small snack. That is what a couple of people from the US wanted when they were over but it would have to be quick service, in a good location and really be something different and well run.


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## toebeenz (Oct 17, 2009)

*Coffee Shops....?*



Cleo Shahateet said:


> There are many, many coffee shops of all sizes, price range and class all over Cyprus plus whenever you go anywhere you are always offered a coffee. Also, not a huge profit margin as I'm sure you already know. There are also Starbucks, Costa Coffee and other big ones who likely do make a good profit charging an arm and a leg for a cup.
> 
> One thing that is missing but I am not sure how it would do in Cyprus is a place that offers to-go coffees like a drive-thru coffee hut in a busy area where people on their way to work could drive through for a coffee on the go and a small snack. That is what a couple of people from the US wanted when they were over but it would have to be quick service, in a good location and really be something different and well run.


Dear Cleo,

Thank you for your reply. The drive-thru does not appeal but someone will do it I expect. We live in NZ where coffee shops are plentiful, some are good, some are not. The fact that people go to places like Starbucks and pay through the nose for indifferent coffee and grossly over-priced foodstuffs gives me hope that outlet delivering quality at a reasonable price should be able to prosper......or maybe I'm a dreamer?


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

OMG Cleo don't encourage the Cypriots to drive while drinking coffee as well as talking on their phones and doingtheir make up in the rear view mirror


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## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

LOL - I wouldn't personally open a food establishment of any kind in Cyprus to be honest. It was hard enough in the US - I did it for almsot 15 years so I know. But, that was what people mentioned that they wanted when they visited. Mcdonalds drive thru is the only one and that is by no means fast service or very easy to get into if you are going the wrong way down that road needing to go all the way to the round about to get back to it.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Cleo Shahateet said:


> LOL - I wouldn't personally open a food establishment of any kind in Cyprus to be honest. It was hard enough in the US - I did it for almsot 15 years so I know. But, that was what people mentioned that they wanted when they visited. Mcdonalds drive thru is the only one and that is by no means fast service or very easy to get into if you are going the wrong way down that road needing to go all the way to the round about to get back to it.


There is now an access to Mc.donalds and the mall from the other side of the dual carriageway. There are also traffic lights controlling it so its much better now. No more having to go all the way to roundabout and back down


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## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

Veronica said:


> There is now an access to Mc.donalds and the mall from the other side of the dual carriageway. There are also traffic lights controlling it so its much better now. No more having to go all the way to roundabout and back down


Finally! Haven't been down there in awhile but my wife always complained about it plus sometimes having to wait so long that she could have taken both kids out and in and it still may have been faster. (Maybe she is exaggerating a bit but that is what I heard!)


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## toebeenz (Oct 17, 2009)

Thank you girls for your very detailed directions on how to access McDonald's drive-thru, not that I'll be using them! I'll be more interested in directions to drive-past, drive-by, drive-on and drive-away.

We plan to visit in July hopefully so helpful comments are welcome. I lived in Spain for a few years where the biggest irritation was Spaniards, am I heading for a similar situation?


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

toebeenz said:


> Thank you girls for your very detailed directions on how to access McDonald's drive-thru, not that I'll be using them! I'll be more interested in directions to drive-past, drive-by, drive-on and drive-away.
> 
> We plan to visit in July hopefully so helpful comments are welcome. I lived in Spain for a few years where the biggest irritation was Spaniards, am I heading for a similar situation?


If you found Spaniards an irritation you will find Cypriots equally so. I suggest you find a place where there is no indigenous population to annoy you


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2010)

toebeenz said:


> I lived in Spain for a few years where the biggest irritation was Spaniards, am I heading for a similar situation?


You can rest easy! You are likely to find considerably fewer Spaniards in Cyprus.


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## toebeenz (Oct 17, 2009)

Veronica said:


> If you found Spaniards an irritation you will find Cypriots equally so. I suggest you find a place where there is no indigenous population to annoy you


On previous visits to Cyprus and to Greece I have always found the indigenous people to be friendly and helpful and a lot more welcoming than in other parts of the world. However, reading between the lines there appears to be comment about poor driving skills and excessive bureaucracy, a major factor in Spain!

A small price to pay if the sun shines....


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2010)

Going a little off-topic, how welcoming did you find the Spaniards towards your Thai wife while you were there?


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## toebeenz (Oct 17, 2009)

frogblogger said:


> Going a little off-topic, how welcoming did you find the Spaniards towards your Thai wife while you were there?


My time in Spain was before I was married so I cannot comment. Going even further off topic, the French seem to have a very high acceptance level of others, as you have noted, as after the war a number of black American jazz musicians took up residence in Paris where they found a condition of positive discrimination!


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